General Education and University Curriculum Reform: An

General Education and University Curriculum Reform:An International Conference in Hong KongJune 12–14 2012, City University of Hong Kong

Organized by

M3017(LT-1)

M3090(LT-2)

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M5050(LT-3)

M4004 M4003 M4001

M4312 M4305

M8051

M9001

M8061

Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre

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General Education and University Curriculum Reform:An International Conference in Hong KongJune 12–14 2012, City University of Hong Kong

Organized by

Welcome ........................................................2

Programme Committee ..................................3

Advisory Committee ......................................4

General Education Curriculum Exhibition ......5

Acknowledgements .......................................5

Programme at A Glance .................................6

Concurrent Sessions by Theme ...................20

Detailed Programme of Events .....................26

General Education and University Curriculum Reform: An International Conference in Hong Kong

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Welcome

Welcome to City University of Hong Kong and this international conference, titled “General Education and University Curriculum Reform: An International Conference in Hong Kong”. CityU and the Hong Kong-America Center have organised a comprehensive programme for you over the next few days. You will have a chance to attend more than 15 plenary and VIP sessions and be able to choose from 90 concurrent presentations, seminars, and roundtable discussions.

The conference is very timely as the launch of the new 4-year degree programme at publically funded tertiary institutions in Hong Kong is imminent. Over the past few years, universities in Hong Kong have been restructuring their undergraduate studies from three to four years, a development that has enabled the inclusion of a substantial General Education component. This conference is an opportunity to share our collective Hong Kong experience and at the same time learn how General Education is developed, implemented, and evaluated in other universities in the Asian region and internationally. The sessions will feature local, regional, and international scholars addressing issues of interest to both policy leaders and academic practitioners. In addition, there will be many informal opportunities for scholars and other participants to interact over the next few days.

I would like to extend a vote of thanks to the Programme Committee and the Advisory Committee for planning this conference. I would also like to extend a vote of thanks to the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia for facilitating the participation of so many of their members. Heartfelt thanks are also in order for the Association of American Colleges and Universities for communicating news about this event to their members. The support of the ASIANetwork and Hong Kong’s Federation for Self-financing Tertiary Education is also gratefully acknowledged, while special thanks are due to Hong Kong’s Heads of Universities Committee for their endorsement.

I would also like to extend a sincere “thank you” to the speakers and presenters, and to all the participants, for making this event such a success.

I hope you enjoy the conference!

Best wishes,

Professor Way KuoPresident and University Distinguished Professor City University of Hong KongJune 2012

June 12–14 2012, City University of Hong Kong

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Programme Committee

Co-ChairsProfessor S. Han Cheng City University of Hong Kong

Dr. Glenn Shive Hong Kong America Center

MembersProfessor Martha Carothers Visiting Fulbright Scholar,City University of Hong Kong

Dr Betty Cernol-McCann United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UB)

Mr Selwyn Cheng Federation for Self-financing Tertiary Education

Dr Terence Cheung Department of Information Systems,City University of Hong Kong (IT Chair)

Professor Janel Curry Visiting Fulbright Scholar,City University of Hong Kong

Professor Susan Fiksdal Visiting Fulbright Scholar, Hong Kong Baptist University

Professor Melissa Fitch Visiting Fulbright Scholar, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Professor Joe He Associate Head of Department of Communication,City University of Hong Kong(Media and Communication Chair)

Dr. Ron Kwok Chi Wai Chair of GEPC; Associate Director, EDGE; Associate Professor and Assistant Dean, College of Business, City University of Hong Kong

Professor Chi-Kwong Li Visiting Fulbright Scholar, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Dr. Jane Lockwood Director, English Language Center, and Associate Professor, Department of English, City University of Hong Kong

Professor Richard MackVisiting Fulbright Scholar,The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Professor Douglas RoscoeVisiting Fulbright Scholar, Lingnan University

Professor William ShawVisiting Fulbright Scholar, The University of Hong Kong

Professor Chris Wagner Associate Provost (Quality Assurance); Associate Dean, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong (Technical Workshop Chair)

SecretariatDr. Paul Corrigan Office of Education Development and Gateway Education, City University of Hong Kong


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Advisory Committee

Co-ChairsProfessor S. Han ChengCity University of Hong Kong

Dr. Glenn ShiveHong Kong America Center

MembersProfessor Martha CarothersVisiting Fulbright Scholar,City University of Hong Kong

Dr. Betty Cernol-McCannUnited Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia

Professor Cheung Chan-FaiThe Chinese University of Hong Kong

Professor King ChowThe Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

Professor Reza HoshmandHong Kong Baptist University

Professor William LeeLingnan University

Dr. Simon LeungFederation for Self-financing Tertiary Education

Professor Laurance SplitterThe Hong Kong Institute of Education

Dr. Eva WongHong Kong Baptist University

Professor James XingThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University [In attendance]

SecretariatDr. Paul CorriganOffice of Education Development and Gateway Education, City University of Hong Kong


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Acknowledgements

General Education Curriculum Exhibition

An exhibition on General Education curriculum in higher education Hong Kong will be held during the conference. The venue is Academic Building 1, on the Fourth Floor Mall, near LT-5. The following institutions and organization are featured in the exhibition:

City University of Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong The Hong Kong Polytechnic University The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Baptist University The Hong Kong Institute of Education The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Federation for Self-financing Tertiary Education

The organizers wish to thank the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia for their help in supporting the conference.

The organizers also wish to thank the following organizations for their help with the conference:

Association of American Colleges and Universities

Federation for Self-financing Tertiary Education

ASIANetwork


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Programme at A Glance

Day 1: June 12, 2012

Opening Plenary

9:00 – 11:00 Venue: CMC M3017 [LT-1]

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome Speech Professor Arthur B. ELLIS, Provost and Acting President, City University of Hong Kong,

Hong Kong S.A.R., China

9:15 – 9:25 Opening Address Dr. Richard ARMOUR, Secretary-General, University Grants Committee, Hong Kong

S.A.R., China

9:25 – 10:15 Keynote Liberal Education and General Education:

Educating 21st Century Students for a World Shared in Common Dr. Carol Geary SCHNEIDER, President, Association of American Colleges and

Universities, United States

10:15 – 10:40 Keynote Some Trends in General Education: A Personal Perspective Professor George IWAMA, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Northern British

Columbia, Canada

10:40 – 11:00 Movie: Fulbrighters on GE in Hong Kong

Concurrent Sessions

11:00 – 1:30 Presidents’ Session and Lunch (By Invitation)

Facilitator: Dr. Jerry Gaff, Senior Scholar, Association of American Colleges and Universities,

United States

11:30 – 12:00 Theme 9: Assessment of GE ProgrammesEvaluating Students’ Learning Experiences in a Pilot General Education Program in Hong Kong Venue: M3017 in the CMC Building

Theme 2: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesPromotion of Holistic Development of University Students via the Formal Curriculum Venue: Shun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090) in the CMC Building

Themes 3; 1: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentFrom Foundation to Consolidation: An Innovative Model for General Education at HKIEd Venue: M5050 in the CMC Building

Themes 3; 10: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning Aspects of GEImpacts of Lingnan Service-Learning Model: Five Years Outcome Measurement Venue: M4001 in the CMC Building


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Themes 6; 2: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesGateway Education at City University Venue: M4003 in the CMC Building

Themes 6; 3: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesFrom World Civilizations to Dialogues: The Genesis of General Education Foundation in CUHK Venue: M4004 in the CMC Building

Theme 9: Assessment of GE ProgrammesTrust: A Missing Ingredient in University Curriculum and Assessment Reform? Venue: M4023 in the CMC Building

Theme 7: Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyCommon Core Course Development — An Extraordinary Wholesale Migration of Existing GE Courses at HKUST and Development of New Studio Arts Courses Venue: M4053 in the CMC Building

Lunch

12:00 – 1:30 The Lunch is open to conference participants who have already registered & paid. Venue: CMC

Presidents’ Plenary

1:30 – 2:25

Facilitator: Dr. Jerry Gaff, Senior Scholar, Association of American Colleges and Universities

Venue: CMC M3017 [LT-1]

Concurrent Sessions

2:30 – 2:55 Theme 2: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and CoursesA Battle with Academic Capitalism — The Lesson Learnt from the General Education Reform in the Two Universities Venue: M3017 in the CMC Building

Theme 3: Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesCreative Community and Whole Person Development: Envisioning West Kowloon Cultural District Venue: M5050 in the CMC Building

Themes 4; 5: Integration of Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curricula; Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaCritical Reading and Discovery in General EducationVenue: M4024 in the CMC Building

Theme 6: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEAn Interdisciplinary GE Course from Preparation to Execution to Formative Assessment Venue: M4003 in the CMC Building


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Themes 6; 3: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesTeaching Death: A Case Study Venue: M4004 in the CMC Building

Themes 7; 3: Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy; Whole Person Development and Learning Communities Education Reform: Incorporating Creative Thinking Methods in Higher Education Venue: M4053 in the CMC Building

Themes 4; 6: Integration of Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEPromotion of Problem-Based Learning Approach to GE Courses Venue: M4023 in the CMC Building

Themes 1;2: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE Alternative Broadening Experience for Full-time Students of Non-local Degree Programmes under 3-3-4 System

Venue: Shun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090) in the CMC Building

Concurrent Sessions

3:15 – 3:40 Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesEmbedded Learning to Learn in the General Education Classroom Venue: M3017 in the CMC Building

Themes 1; 2; 5: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaA Higher Status for Writing in the Four-year Curriculum: The Enhanced General Education Model at PolyU Venue: Shun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090) in the CMC Building

Themes 2; 7: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyGeneral Education in Hong Kong: Contradictions, Tensions, and Strategies of Implementation Venue: M5050 in the CMC Building

Theme 5: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaAcademic Literacy Levels: What do our Students Need to Access General Education? Venue: M4001 in the CMC Building

Theme 5: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaDeveloping any Area of Academic Literacy via Corpus Consultation & Concordancing: The Example of LegalEasyVenue: M4023 in the CMC Building


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Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentThe Fulbright General Education Program in Hong Kong: Lessons Learned Venue: M4003 in the CMC Building

Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentBarriers to Change: General Education in Hong Kong Venue: M4004 in the CMC Building

Themes 10; 6: Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning Aspects of GE; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GESelf-Interpretation of Student Dreams as a Tool for Personal Growth in General Education Classes

Venue: M4053 in the CMC Building

Concurrent Sessions

3:45 – 4:10 Theme 3: Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesEmbracing the Whole Person Development by General Education Venue: M5050 in the CMC Building

Theme 3: Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesCreating a Whole Person — Positioning Creative Education in Tertiary General Education Curriculum in Hong Kong Venue: M4023 in the CMC Building

Theme 5: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula How to “Demonstrate the capacity for self-directed learning” Through Peer Collaboration and Writing Venue: Shun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090) in the CMC Building

Themes 7; 1: Students and general education in the 21st century economy; leadership in curriculum reform and faculty developmentErikson, Vygotsky, and Illeris: Implications/Challenges of Hong Kong’s University Reforms Venue: M4024 in the CMC Building

Themes 10; 12: Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning Aspects of GE; Service and Community Based Learning The Importance of Incorporating Reflectivity into Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning: A Case Study of Service-Learning Venue: M4053 in the CMC Building

Themes 12; 2: Service and Community Based Learning; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesDevelopment of Credit-bearing Courses on Service Learning for University Students Venue: M4001 in the CMC Building

Themes 5; 11: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in the GE Curriculum; Integration of the Study of Asian Cultural Heritages into GE ProgrammesReading the Word to Reading the World(s): Teaching Literature in GE Curriculum Venue: M4003 in the CMC Building


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Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesGeneral University Requirements at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: The Underlying Educational Principles and Process of Development Venue: M4004 in the CMC Building

Plenary

4:15 – 5:05 Venue: CMC M3017 [LT-1] Keynote: Dr. Tu Weiming

Lifetime Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies, Peking University; Research Professor and Senior Fellow of Asia Center at Harvard University

Implications of the Confucian Revival for General Education in East Asia

Reception

5:15 Venue: CMC 9th Floor The Reception is open to conference participants who have already registered and

paid.


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Day 2: June 13, 2012

Plenary

9:00 – 10:00 Venue: Wei Hing Theatre in the Amenities BuildingPanel DiscussionOpening Remarks: Dr. Nancy CHAPMAN

President, United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia Challenges and Prospects for Whole Person Development in the GE context in Asia

V.I.P. Sessions

10:10 – 11:10 Liberal Arts Learning and Soft/Smart Power Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

10:10 – 11:10 Developing Passionate Faculty in the Pursuit of Excellence Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

10:10 – 11:10 SWU PLUS: The Advancement of College Education in Seoul Women’s University Venue: C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3) in Academic Building 1

11:15 – 12:15 Change and Continuity: Reflections on Globalisation at Yonsei University and the Expansion of Underwood International College Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

11:15 – 12:15 Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

11:15 – 12:15 Transforming the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum to Respond to the Demands of Globalization and Greater Professional Specialization: Ateneo de Manila University 1994-98

Venue: C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3) in Academic Building 1

Lunch

12:30 – 1:45 The Lunch is open to conference participants who have already registered & paid.

Venue: Amenities Building 9th Floor

Plenary

1:45 – 2:40 Venue: Wei Hing Theatre in the Amenities BuildingKeynote: Professor Deborah DAVIS

Professor of Sociology and Director of Graduate Studies in East Asian Studies, Yale University Co-designing a Liberal Arts Curriculum in Singapore


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Concurrent Sessions

2:45 – 4:05 Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentWorkshop: Leadership that Works: Developing a Campus Action Plan for Creating and Sustaining General Education Curriculum Reform Venue: C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3) in Academic Building 1

Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesWorkshop: Change Management in Undergraduate Curriculum Reform: Process and Product Venue: LT-4 in Academic Building 1

Themes 1; 6: Leadership in Curriculum Reform; Case studies in developing interdisciplinary curricula for GERoundtable Discussion: From Specialized to General and Liberal: General Education and University Curriculum Reform in China Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

Theme 2: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesRoundtable Discussion: Transferability of General Education Credits between the Sub-degree and Degree SectorsVenue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

Themes 3; 6: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curriculum for GEWorkshop: Big History: Foundational General Education for the Twenty-First Century Venue: Y4302 in Academic Building 1

Themes 4; 5; 6: Integration of Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curricula; Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEIntegrating Undergraduate Research into the Course of Educational Psychology – A Case Study of EFL Teacher Students Venue: Y4701 in Academic Building 1

Theme 5: Enhancement of students’ English language and communication skills in GE curricula Workshop: Beyond the Standard Research Paper: Reconsidering Writing Assignments in the Context of General Education Venue: Y4702 in Academic Building 1

Themes 6; 7: Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEWorkshop: GE That Grows with the Time and the Student: Rationale and Design of GE Courses for the Junior and Senior Year(s) Venue: Y5302 in Academic Building 1

Theme 11: Integration of the Study of Asian Cultural Heritages into GE ProgrammesRoundtable: Designing and Teaching Courses about One’s Native Culture, History and Society in a General Education Curriculum

Venue: Y5303 in Academic Building 1


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Concurrent Sessions

4:30 – 4:55 Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and CoursesGeneral Education Reform in Taiwan – 2007-2015 Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

Themes 1; 8: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Use of Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning in Large-Scale CoursesDeveloping and Using Faculty Learning Communities for Curriculum Reform Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

Themes 2; 6: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEWithin a Broad Policy Theme on ‘Progress and Development’: General Education for ‘Transport and Society’ Venue: C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3) in Academic Building 1

Theme 2: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesThe Challenges and Opportunities of Sub-degree General Education Development under the New Academic Structure Venue: Y4302 in Academic Building 1

Themes 3; 5: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaLanguage Teaching and Learning for General Education: Moving Beyond the Communicative Paradigm to “English for Liberal Arts”Venue: Y4701 in Academic Building 1

Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum ReformA Model of “Student Learning Outcomes Space” and Mobilization of International Exchange Programs — With Reference to Recent Reforms in Japanese Higher Education Venue: Y4702 in Academic Building 1

Theme 3; 12: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Service and Community Based LearningEnhancing Whole Personal Development Through Student-Centered Co-Curricular Activities


Concurrent Sessions

5:00 – 5:25 Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesLeadership in General Education (3 presentations): 1) Learning to Swim: Directing a Master’s Program in Liberal Arts; 2) The Circus Arts: Administrative Leadership in General Education Programs; 3) Advising as Leadership: Gen Ed from the Ground Up Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform; Policy lessons for Planning and Launching New


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Academic Programmes and CoursesMoving a Mountain: Transforming Temple University’s Intellectual Heritage (IH) Program Curriculum (Great Books/Ideas Courses) and Moving the Faculty to the New Mosaic Course Paradigm Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

Themes 4; 11: Integration of Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curricula; Integrating the Study of Asian Cultural Heritages into GE Programmes “Out of the Cultural Ghetto” — An Integrated Approach To Enhance Cross-Cultural Understanding in the GE Course “Appreciating Masterpieces of Western Culture”Venue: C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3) in Academic Building 1

Theme 5: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaTeaching ESP in University of Science and Technology Venue: LT-4 in Academic Building 1

Theme 6: Case studies in developing Interdisciplinary Curriculum for GEUKM Experience in General Education and Curriculum Reform Venue: Y4302 in Academic Building 1

Themes 6; 2: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and Courses.From Pilot to Program: Freshman Clusters and General Education Reform at UCLA Venue: Y4701 in Academic Building 1

Theme 6: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GECase Study of General Education Reforms in Korean Universities and Their Implications through the Concept of ‘Competency’ Venue: Y4702 in Academic Building 1


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Day 3: June 14, 2012

Plenary

9:00 – 9:30 Venue: Wei Hing Theatre in the Amenities BuildingKeynote: Professor Edward K. Y. CHEN

Distinguished Fellow, Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong.

Liberal Arts Education: Rationale, Practice, and Prospect

V.I.P. Sessions

9:35 – 10:25 Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and Courses Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

Developing Anti-corruption Education at Satya Wacana Christian University Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

Curriculum and Learning Reform: Harmonization of Context, Competence, and Content


Concurrent Sessions

10:40 – 11:05 Themes 1; 6: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEInterdisciplinary Education in the Transnational Context: Creating an Innovative GE Curriculum at Duke Kunshan University Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

Themes 2; 7: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyGeneral Education and Integrative Learning Reform at a Major Research University Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

Theme 3: Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesGeneral Education and Whole Person Development: Questions for Learning Communities Venue: C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3) in Academic Building 1

Themes 7; 1: Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy; Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentThree Cornerstones for General Education Teaching: Content, Engagement, and Transparency Venue: LT-4 in Academic Building 1

Themes 7: Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyZayed University’s Brand: Negotiating the Liberal Arts in General Education Venue: Y4302 in Academic Building 1


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Themes 7: Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyProgrammatic Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes in General Education: Best Practices, Resources and Examples Venue: Y4701 in Academic Building 1

Themes 1; 2: Use of Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning in Large-Scale Course; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomySmall Learning Devices for Important Questions Venue: Y4702 in Academic Building 1

Themes 1; 7: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Students and General Education in the 21th Century Economy.Roundtable Discussion: Exploration and Practice of Construction Assurance System of General Education


Plenary

11:10 – 12:00 Venue: Wei Hing Theatre in the Amenities BuildingKeynote: Dr. Terrel RHODES

Vice President for Quality, Curriculum and Assessment Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Authentic Assessment and the VALUE of Learning

Lunch12:15 – 1:30 The Lunch is open to conference participants who have already registered &

paid. Venue: Amenities Building 9th Floor

Concurrent Sessions

1:30 – 2:50 Themes 4; 6: Integrating Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curriculum; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curriculum for GERoundtable: Innovations in Undergraduate Education at American Liberal Arts Colleges (Sponsored by ASIANetwork) Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

1:30 – 1:55 Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum ReformDesigning a General Education Program in a Private Management College in Hong Kong: Opportunities and Challenges Venue: C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3) in Academic Building 1

1:30 – 1:55 Themes 6; 4: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE: Integration of the Study of Asian Cultural Heritages into GE ProgramsTeaching Cultural Tourism in General Education: A Module for Cultural Heritage Studies Venue: LT-4 in Academic Building 1

1:30 – 1:55 Theme 8: Use of Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning in Large-Scale CoursesAugmented Teaching — the Internet Prosthetic Venue: Y4302 in Academic Building 1


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1:30 – 1:55 Theme 6: Case Studies in Developing interdisciplinary Curricula in GE General Education Curriculum Reform: Two Recent Case Studies Venue: Y4701 in Academic Building 1

1:30 – 1:55 Themes 6; 3; 5: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE curriculaHarmony and Homer on the Pearl River Delta: The Foundations of a New Liberal Arts Education in China Venue: Y4702 in Academic Building 1

1:30 – 1:55 Theme 9: Assessment of GE ProgrammesWorkshop: Some “Dos and Don’ts” for General Education Programme Assessment


Concurrent Sessions

3:00 – 3:25 Theme 2; 7: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyDeveloping a General Education Curriculum for Vocational-oriented Undergraduate Programmes Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

Themes 5;6: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE Effective English Learning and its Comprehensive Evaluation Model Supported by Empirical Studies Venue: C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3) in Academic Building 1

Theme 6: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Service and Community Based LearningCommunity Service-Learning 2.0: “Paying it Forward” Through Reciprocal Pedagogy Venue: LT-4 in Academic Building 1

Themes 7; 6: Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for General Education Preparing Students for a Global Economy: Integrating General Education and International Business Venue: Y4302 in Academic Building 1

Themes 1; 2: Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy; Assessment of GE ProgrammesThe Study on Outcome-based Assessment of Core Competencies in General Education



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Concurrent Sessions

3:30 – 3:55 Theme 3; 7: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyGE Integration into Groups of Mutually Related Majors Venue: Y4702 in Academic Building 1

Themes 5; 9: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Assessment of GE ProgrammesRe-embedding Literacy in the General Education ClassroomVenue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

Themes 5, 9: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Assessment of GE ProgrammesUnderstanding the Current Students’ English Learning Situation in Basic Education Institutions in Tangshan, ChinaVenue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

Theme 6: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE The I-Series Courses: New General Education Courses Focused on Big IdeasVenue: C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3) in Academic Building 1

Themes 7; 2; 3: Students and GE in the 21st Century Economy; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and Courses; Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesExploring New Stakeholder Opportunities to “Connect the Dots”: Addressing Liberal Education Needs and Disconnects across the GlobeVenue: LT-4 in Academic Building 1

Themes 1;11: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Integration of the Study of Asian Cultural Heritages into GE Programmes Transformative Curriculums: Chinese General Education and the Liberal ArtsVenue: Y4302 in Academic Building 1

Theme 10: Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning Aspects of GEAn Interdisciplinary Study on the Evaluation of the Effectiveness of UIC’s Whole Person Education Experiential Learning PracticesVenue: Y4701 in Academic Building 1

Concurrent Sessions

4:00 – 4:25 Themes 5; 6: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE Continuity and Adaptation: The University of Iowa Experience with General Education Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentWorkshop: Breaking Down Silos through General Education Reform Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1


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Themes 2; 7: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyPolicy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy Venue: LT-4 in Academic Building 1

Themes 5; 6: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEWorkshop: Teaching Writing and Culture in General Education Venue: Y4302 in Academic Building 1

Themes 11; 12: Integration of Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curricula; Service and Community-Based Learning Workshop: Models for Integrating Undergraduate Research into the Curriculum Venue: Y4701 in Academic Building 1

Theme 9: Assessment of GE ProgrammesStudent and Staff Experiences of General Education: A Cross-Cultural Comparison


Closing Plenary

4:30 – 5:15 Plenary Facilitators: Dr. Jerry Gaff, Professor S. Han Cheng, Dr. Glenn ShiveLiberal Arts Curriculum and Teaching in Asian Universities: Reflection on the Conference

Venue: Wei Hing Theatre in the Amenities Building


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Concurrent Sessions by Theme

Day 1

Time Theme 1:Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development

Theme 2:Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses

Theme 3:Whole Person Development and Learning Communities

Theme 4:Integration of Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curricula

Theme 5:Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula

Theme 6:Case Studies inDeveloping Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE

Theme 7:Students and General Education, 21st Century Economy

Theme 8:Use of Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning in Large-Scale Courses

Theme 9:Assessment of GE Programmes

Theme 10:Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning Aspects of GE

Theme 11:Integration of the Study of Asian Cultural Heritages into GE Programmes

Theme 12:Service and Community Based Learning

11:30am – 12:00nn

Promotion of Holistic Development of University Students via the Formal CurriculumShun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090), CMC Building

From Foundation to Consolidation: An Innovative Model for General Education at HKIEd M5050, CMC Building

Gateway Education at City University M4003, CMC Building

Common Core Course Development – An Extraordinary Wholesale Migration of Existing GE Courses at HKUST and Development of New Studio Arts CoursesM4053, CMC Building

Trust: A Missing Ingredient in University Curriculum and Assessment Reform?M4023, CMC Building

Impacts of Lingnan Service-Learning Model: Five Years Outcome MeasurementM4001, CMC Building

From World Civilizations to Dialogues: The Genesis of General Education Foundation in CUHKM4004, CMC Building

Evaluating Students’ Learning Experiences in a Pilot General Education Program in Hong Kong M3017, CMC Building

2:30 –2:55pm

Alternative Broadening Experience for Full-time Students of Non-local Degree Programmes under 3-3-4 SystemShun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090), CMC Building

A Battle with Academic Capitalism – The Lesson Learnt from the General Education Reform, Two Universities M3017, CMC Building

Creative Community and Whole Person Development: Envisioning West Kowloon Cultural District M5050, CMC Building

Critical Reading and Discovery in General Education M4024, CMC Building

An Interdisciplinary GE Course from Preparation to Execution to Formative AssessmentM4003, CMC Building

Education Reform: Incorporating Creative Thinking Methods In Higher Education M4053, CMC Building

Promotion of Problem-Based Learning Approach to GE courses M4023, CMC Building

Workshop: Teaching Death: A Case StudyM4004, CMC Building

3:15 – 3:40pm

Embedded Learning to Learn, General Education Classroom M3017, CMC Building

General Education in Hong Kong: Contradictions, Tensions, and Strategies of Implementation M5050, CMC Building

Academic Literacy Levels: What do our Students need to access General Education? M4001, CMC Building

Self-Interpretation of Student Dreams as a Tool for Personal Growth in General Education Classes M4053, CMC Building

A Higher Status for Writing, Four-year Curriculum: The Enhanced General Education Model at PolyUShun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090), CMC Building

Developing any Area of Academic Literacy via Corpus Consultation & Concordancing: The Example of LegalEasy M4023, CMC Buildin

The Fulbright General Education Program in Hong Kong: Lessons Learned M4003, CMC Building

Barriers to Change: General Education in Hong KongM4004, CMC Building

3:45 –4:10pm

General University Requirements at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: The Underlying Educational Principles and Process of Development M4004, CMC Building

Embracing the Whole Person Development by General Education M5050, CMC Building

How to “Demonstrate the Capacity for Self-Directed Learning” Through Peer Collaboration and Writing Shun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090), CMC Building

Erikson, Vygotsky, and Illeris: Implications/ Challenges of Hong Kong’s University Reforms M4024, CMC Building

The Importance of Incorporating Reflectivity into Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning: A Case Study of Service-Learning M4053, CMC Building

Development of Credit-bearing Courses on Service Learning for University Students M4001, CMC Buildin

Creating a Whole Person - Positioning Creative Education in Tertiary General Education Curriculum in Hong Kong M4023, CMC Building

Reading the Word to Reading the World(s): Teaching Literature in GE Curriculum M4003, CMC Building


21













11:30am – 12:00nn

Promotion of Holistic Development of University Students via the Formal CurriculumShun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090), CMC Building

From Foundation to Consolidation: An Innovative Model for General Education at HKIEd M5050, CMC Building

Gateway Education at City University M4003, CMC Building

Common Core Course Development – An Extraordinary Wholesale Migration of Existing GE Courses at HKUST and Development of New Studio Arts CoursesM4053, CMC Building

Trust: A Missing Ingredient in University Curriculum and Assessment Reform?M4023, CMC Building

Impacts of Lingnan Service-Learning Model: Five Years Outcome MeasurementM4001, CMC Building

From World Civilizations to Dialogues: The Genesis of General Education Foundation in CUHKM4004, CMC Building

Evaluating Students’ Learning Experiences in a Pilot General Education Program in Hong Kong M3017, CMC Building

2:30 –2:55pm

Alternative Broadening Experience for Full-time Students of Non-local Degree Programmes under 3-3-4 SystemShun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090), CMC Building

A Battle with Academic Capitalism – The Lesson Learnt from the General Education Reform, Two Universities M3017, CMC Building

Creative Community and Whole Person Development: Envisioning West Kowloon Cultural District M5050, CMC Building

Critical Reading and Discovery in General Education M4024, CMC Building

An Interdisciplinary GE Course from Preparation to Execution to Formative AssessmentM4003, CMC Building

Education Reform: Incorporating Creative Thinking Methods In Higher Education M4053, CMC Building

Promotion of Problem-Based Learning Approach to GE courses M4023, CMC Building

Workshop: Teaching Death: A Case StudyM4004, CMC Building

3:15 – 3:40pm

Embedded Learning to Learn, General Education Classroom M3017, CMC Building

General Education in Hong Kong: Contradictions, Tensions, and Strategies of Implementation M5050, CMC Building

Academic Literacy Levels: What do our Students need to access General Education? M4001, CMC Building

Self-Interpretation of Student Dreams as a Tool for Personal Growth in General Education Classes M4053, CMC Building

A Higher Status for Writing, Four-year Curriculum: The Enhanced General Education Model at PolyUShun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090), CMC Building

Developing any Area of Academic Literacy via Corpus Consultation & Concordancing: The Example of LegalEasy M4023, CMC Buildin

The Fulbright General Education Program in Hong Kong: Lessons Learned M4003, CMC Building

Barriers to Change: General Education in Hong KongM4004, CMC Building

3:45 –4:10pm

General University Requirements at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: The Underlying Educational Principles and Process of Development M4004, CMC Building

Embracing the Whole Person Development by General Education M5050, CMC Building

How to “Demonstrate the Capacity for Self-Directed Learning” Through Peer Collaboration and Writing Shun Hing Lecture Theatre (M3090), CMC Building

Erikson, Vygotsky, and Illeris: Implications/ Challenges of Hong Kong’s University Reforms M4024, CMC Building

The Importance of Incorporating Reflectivity into Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning: A Case Study of Service-Learning M4053, CMC Building

Development of Credit-bearing Courses on Service Learning for University Students M4001, CMC Buildin

Creating a Whole Person - Positioning Creative Education in Tertiary General Education Curriculum in Hong Kong M4023, CMC Building

Reading the Word to Reading the World(s): Teaching Literature in GE Curriculum M4003, CMC Building


22

Day 2Time Theme 1:

Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development












2:45 – 4:05pm

Workshop: Leadership that Works: Developing a Campus Action Plan for Creating and Sustaining General Education Curriculum Reform C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Roundtable Discussion: Transferability of General Education Credits between the Sub-degree and Degree Sectors Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

Workshop: Big History: Foundational General Education for the Twenty-First Century Y4302, Academic Building 1

Seminar/Workshop: Integrating Undergraduate Research into the Course of Educational Psychology – A Case Study of EFL teacher studentsY4701, Academic Building 1

Seminar/Workshop: Beyond The Standard Research Paper: Reconsidering Writing Assignments in the Context of General Education Y4702, Academic Building 1

Seminar/Workshop: GE That Grows with the Time and the Student: Rationale and Design of GE Courses for the Junior and Senior Year(s) Y5302, Academic Building 1

Workshop: Change Management in Undergraduate Curriculum Reform: Process and Product LT-4, Academic Building 1

Roundtable Discussion: From Specialized to General and Liberal: General Education and University Curriculum Reform in China Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

Roundtable: Designing and Teaching Courses about One’s Native Culture, History and Society in a General Education Curriculum Y5303, Academic Building 1

4:30 – 4:55pm

General Education Reform in Taiwan – 2007-2015 Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

Within a Broad Policy Theme on ‘Progress and Development’: General Education for ‘Transport and Society’ C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Language Teaching and Learning for General Education: Moving Beyond the Communicative Paradigm to “English for Liberal Arts” Y4701, Academic Building 1

Developing and Using Faculty Learning Communities for Curriculum Reform Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

The Challenges and Opportunities of Sub-degree General Education Development under the New Academic Structure Y4302, Academic Building 1

Seminar/Workshop: Enhancing Whole Personal Development Through Student-Centered Co-Curricular ActivitiesY5302, Academic Building 1

A Model of “Student Learning Outcomes Space” and Mobilization of International Exchange Programs — With Reference to Recent Reforms in Japanese Higher Education Y4702, Academic Building 1

5:00 – 5:25pm

Leadership in General Education (3 presentations: 1) Learning to Swim: Directing a Master’s Program in Liberal Arts; 2) The Circus Arts: Administrative Leadership in General Education Programs; 3) Advising as Leadership: Gen Ed from the Ground Up Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

“Out of the Cultural Ghetto” – An Integrated Approach to Enhance Cross-cultural Understanding in the GE course “Appreciating Masterpieces of Western Culture”C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Teaching ESP in University of Science and Technology LT-4, Academic Building 1

UKM Experience in General Education and Curriculum Reform Y4302, Academic Building 1

Moving a Mountain: Transforming Temple University’s Intellectual Heritage (IH) Program Curriculum (Great Books/Ideas Courses) and Moving the Faculty to the New Mosaic Course Paradigm Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

From Pilot to Program: Freshman Clusters and General Education Reform at UCLA Y4701, Academic Building 1

Case Study of General Education Reforms in Korean Universities and Their Implications through the Concept of ‘Competency’ Y4702, Academic Building 1


23













2:45 – 4:05pm

Workshop: Leadership that Works: Developing a Campus Action Plan for Creating and Sustaining General Education Curriculum Reform C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Roundtable Discussion: Transferability of General Education Credits between the Sub-degree and Degree Sectors Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

Workshop: Big History: Foundational General Education for the Twenty-First Century Y4302, Academic Building 1

Seminar/Workshop: Integrating Undergraduate Research into the Course of Educational Psychology – A Case Study of EFL teacher studentsY4701, Academic Building 1

Seminar/Workshop: Beyond The Standard Research Paper: Reconsidering Writing Assignments in the Context of General Education Y4702, Academic Building 1

Seminar/Workshop: GE That Grows with the Time and the Student: Rationale and Design of GE Courses for the Junior and Senior Year(s) Y5302, Academic Building 1

Workshop: Change Management in Undergraduate Curriculum Reform: Process and Product LT-4, Academic Building 1

Roundtable Discussion: From Specialized to General and Liberal: General Education and University Curriculum Reform in China Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

Roundtable: Designing and Teaching Courses about One’s Native Culture, History and Society in a General Education Curriculum Y5303, Academic Building 1

4:30 – 4:55pm

General Education Reform in Taiwan – 2007-2015 Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

Within a Broad Policy Theme on ‘Progress and Development’: General Education for ‘Transport and Society’ C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Language Teaching and Learning for General Education: Moving Beyond the Communicative Paradigm to “English for Liberal Arts” Y4701, Academic Building 1

Developing and Using Faculty Learning Communities for Curriculum Reform Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

The Challenges and Opportunities of Sub-degree General Education Development under the New Academic Structure Y4302, Academic Building 1

Seminar/Workshop: Enhancing Whole Personal Development Through Student-Centered Co-Curricular ActivitiesY5302, Academic Building 1

A Model of “Student Learning Outcomes Space” and Mobilization of International Exchange Programs — With Reference to Recent Reforms in Japanese Higher Education Y4702, Academic Building 1

5:00 – 5:25pm

Leadership in General Education (3 presentations: 1) Learning to Swim: Directing a Master’s Program in Liberal Arts; 2) The Circus Arts: Administrative Leadership in General Education Programs; 3) Advising as Leadership: Gen Ed from the Ground Up Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

“Out of the Cultural Ghetto” – An Integrated Approach to Enhance Cross-cultural Understanding in the GE course “Appreciating Masterpieces of Western Culture”C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Teaching ESP in University of Science and Technology LT-4, Academic Building 1

UKM Experience in General Education and Curriculum Reform Y4302, Academic Building 1

Moving a Mountain: Transforming Temple University’s Intellectual Heritage (IH) Program Curriculum (Great Books/Ideas Courses) and Moving the Faculty to the New Mosaic Course Paradigm Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

From Pilot to Program: Freshman Clusters and General Education Reform at UCLA Y4701, Academic Building 1

Case Study of General Education Reforms in Korean Universities and Their Implications through the Concept of ‘Competency’ Y4702, Academic Building 1


24

Day 3Time Theme 1:







Theme 7:Students and General Education, 21st Century Economw y






10:40 – 11:05am

Interdisciplinary Education in the Transnational Context: Creating an Innovative GE Curriculum at Duke Kunshan University Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

General Education and Integrative Learning Reform at a Major Research University Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

General Education and Whole Person Development: Questions for Learning Communities C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Three Cornerstones for General Education Teaching: Content, Engagement and Transparency LT-4, Academic Building 1

Small Learning Devices for Important Questions Y4702, Academic Building 1

Zayed University’s Brand: Negotiating the Liberal Arts in General Education Y4302, Academic Building 1

Roundtable Discussion: Exploration and Practice of Construction Assurance System of General EducationY5302, Academic Building 1

Programmatic Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes in General Education: Best practices, Resources and Examples Y4701, Academic Building 1

1:30 – 2:50pm

Designing a General Education Program in a Private Management College in Hong Kong: Opportunities and Challenges C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Roundtable: Innovations in Undergraduate Education at American Liberal Arts Colleges (Sponsored by ASIANetwork). Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

Teaching Cultural Tourism in General Education: A Module for Cultural Heritage Studies LT-4, Academic Building 1

Augmented Teaching — the Internet Prosthetic Y4302, Academic Building 1 (1:30-1:55)

Workshop: Some “Dos and Don’ts” for General Education Programme Assessment Y5302, Academic Building 1(1:30-1:55)

Seminar/Workshop: General Education Curriculum Reform: Two Recent Case Studies Venue: Y4701in the Academic Building 1 (1:30-1:55)

Seminar/Workshop: Harmony and Homer on the Pearl River Delta: The Foundations of a New Liberal Arts Education in China Y4702, Academic Building 1 (1:30-1:55)

3:00 – 3:25pm

The Study on Outcome-based Assessment of Core Competencies in General Education Y4701, Academic Building 1

Developing a General Education Curriculum for Vocational-oriented Undergraduate Programmes Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

Effective English Learning and its Comprehensive Evaluation Model Supported by Empirical Studies C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Community Service-Learning 2.0: “Paying it Forward” Through Reciprocal Pedagogy LT-4, Academic Building 1

Preparing Students for a Global Economy: Integrating General Education and International BusinessY4302, Academic Building 1

3:30 – 3:55pm

Transformative Curriculums: Chinese General Education and the Liberal Arts Y4302 , Academic Building 1

GE Integration into Groups of Mutually Related MajorsY4702, Academic Building 1

Re-embedding Literacy in the General Education Classroom Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

The I-Series Courses: New General Education Courses Focused on Big Ideas C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Exploring New Stakeholder Opportunities to “Connect the Dots”: Addressing Liberal Education Needs and Disconnects across the Globe LT-4, Academic Building 1

An Interdisciplinary Study on the Evaluation of the Effectiveness of UIC’s Whole Person Education Experiential Learning Practices Y4701, Academic Building 1

Understanding the Current Students’ English Learning Situation in Basic Education Institutions in Tangshan, China Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

4:00 – 4:25pm

Workshop: Breaking Down Silos through General Education Reform Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy LT-4, Academic Building 1

Continuity and Adaptation: The University of Iowa Experience with General Education Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

Student and Staff Experiences of General Education: A Cross-Cultural ComparisonC Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Workshop: Models for Integrating Undergraduate Research into the Curriculum Y4701, Academic Building 1

Workshop: Teaching Writing and Culture in General Education Y4302, Academic Building 1


25







Theme 7:Students and General Education, 21st Century Economw y






10:40 – 11:05am

Interdisciplinary Education in the Transnational Context: Creating an Innovative GE Curriculum at Duke Kunshan University Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

General Education and Integrative Learning Reform at a Major Research University Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

General Education and Whole Person Development: Questions for Learning Communities C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Three Cornerstones for General Education Teaching: Content, Engagement and Transparency LT-4, Academic Building 1

Small Learning Devices for Important Questions Y4702, Academic Building 1

Zayed University’s Brand: Negotiating the Liberal Arts in General Education Y4302, Academic Building 1

Roundtable Discussion: Exploration and Practice of Construction Assurance System of General EducationY5302, Academic Building 1

Programmatic Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes in General Education: Best practices, Resources and Examples Y4701, Academic Building 1

1:30 – 2:50pm

Designing a General Education Program in a Private Management College in Hong Kong: Opportunities and Challenges C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Roundtable: Innovations in Undergraduate Education at American Liberal Arts Colleges (Sponsored by ASIANetwork). Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

Teaching Cultural Tourism in General Education: A Module for Cultural Heritage Studies LT-4, Academic Building 1

Augmented Teaching — the Internet Prosthetic Y4302, Academic Building 1 (1:30-1:55)

Workshop: Some “Dos and Don’ts” for General Education Programme Assessment Y5302, Academic Building 1(1:30-1:55)

Seminar/Workshop: General Education Curriculum Reform: Two Recent Case Studies Venue: Y4701in the Academic Building 1 (1:30-1:55)

Seminar/Workshop: Harmony and Homer on the Pearl River Delta: The Foundations of a New Liberal Arts Education in China Y4702, Academic Building 1 (1:30-1:55)

3:00 – 3:25pm

The Study on Outcome-based Assessment of Core Competencies in General Education Y4701, Academic Building 1

Developing a General Education Curriculum for Vocational-oriented Undergraduate Programmes Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

Effective English Learning and its Comprehensive Evaluation Model Supported by Empirical Studies C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Community Service-Learning 2.0: “Paying it Forward” Through Reciprocal Pedagogy LT-4, Academic Building 1

Preparing Students for a Global Economy: Integrating General Education and International BusinessY4302, Academic Building 1

3:30 – 3:55pm

Transformative Curriculums: Chinese General Education and the Liberal Arts Y4302 , Academic Building 1

GE Integration into Groups of Mutually Related MajorsY4702, Academic Building 1

Re-embedding Literacy in the General Education Classroom Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

The I-Series Courses: New General Education Courses Focused on Big Ideas C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Exploring New Stakeholder Opportunities to “Connect the Dots”: Addressing Liberal Education Needs and Disconnects across the Globe LT-4, Academic Building 1

An Interdisciplinary Study on the Evaluation of the Effectiveness of UIC’s Whole Person Education Experiential Learning Practices Y4701, Academic Building 1

Understanding the Current Students’ English Learning Situation in Basic Education Institutions in Tangshan, China Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

4:00 – 4:25pm

Workshop: Breaking Down Silos through General Education Reform Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2), Academic Building 1

Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy LT-4, Academic Building 1

Continuity and Adaptation: The University of Iowa Experience with General Education Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1), Academic Building 1

Student and Staff Experiences of General Education: A Cross-Cultural ComparisonC Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3), Academic Building 1

Workshop: Models for Integrating Undergraduate Research into the Curriculum Y4701, Academic Building 1

Workshop: Teaching Writing and Culture in General Education Y4302, Academic Building 1


26

Detailed Programme of Events

Day 1: June 12, 2012Opening Plenary

Time: 9:00 – 11:00Venue: CMC M3017 [LT-1]

Welcome

Professor Arthur B. ELLIS, Acting President; Provost, City University of Hong Kong

Professor Arthur B. Ellis joined City University of Hong Kong as provost in September 2010. From 2006 until 2010, he was Distinguished Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of California, San Diego. Previously, Professor Ellis served as director of the chemistry division at the US National Science Foundation, and he conducted research and taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was Meloche-Bascom Professor of Chemistry. Professor Ellis received his PhD and BS degrees from MIT and Caltech, respectively.

Opening Address

Dr. Richard ARMOUR, Secretary-General, University Grants Committee of Hong Kong

Dr Richard Armour has extensive experience in administration in the higher education sector, having served in senior positions in various local and overseas universities.

Dr Armour started his career as a university administrator at Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of Strathclyde and Queen Margaret University in the UK from 1978 to 1992. In 1992, Dr Armour came to Hong Kong and took up the post of Director of Academic Planning and Senior Assistant Registrar at the City University of Hong Kong. He became the Registrar of the Open University of Hong Kong in 1996. In 2006, Dr Armour moved to Australia and worked in Griffith University as the Academic Registrar. He returned to Hong Kong in January 2009 to take up the post of Senior Advisor to the President at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and was appointed Secretary-General of the University Grants Committee in January 2012.

Keynote:Liberal Education and General Education: Educating 21st Century Students for a World Shared in Common

Dr. Carol Geary SCHNEIDER, President — Association of American Colleges and Universities

Carol Geary Schneider is president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. With more than 1,250 member institutions, half public and half private, with members drawn from the entire higher education community, large, small, two-year, four-year, selective and open admissions, AAC&U is the leading national organization devoted to advancing and strengthening undergraduate liberal education.

Under her leadership, AAC&U launched Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP), a public advocacy and campus action initiative designed to engage students and the public with what really matters in a college education for the twenty-first century. The LEAP campaign builds on AAC&U’s major effort, Greater Expectations: The Commitment to Quality as a Nation Goes to College, a multi-year initiative designed to articulate the aims of a twenty-first century liberal education and to identify comprehensive, innovative models that improve learning for all undergraduate students.

Dr. Schneider is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in history (Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa). She studied at the University of London’s Institute for Historical Research and earned the Ph.D. in history from Harvard University. She also has received eight honorary degrees and is a 2011 recipient of the ACPA’s Contribution to Higher Education Award.

In her keynote, Dr. Schneider will explore the distinctions between liberal education and general education and why general education themes and intellectual skills need to be integrated with the entire educational experience if students and society are to reap its full benefits. She will explore research on “practices that work” to support students’ high quality learning and she will examine the connections among general education, a creative economy and civic responsibility for the global commons.


27

Keynote:Some Trends in General Education: A Personal Perspective

Professor George IWAMA, President, University of Northern British Columbia

Professor George Iwama began his five-year term as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) on July 1, 2009. Professor Iwama brings many years of experience as a professor, university administrator, community leader and public servant to his post. He came to UNBC after having served as the Dean of Science at Carleton University in Ottawa since 2007.

Professor Iwama holds a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of British Columbia. After leaving UBC for postdoctoral work in Texas at Austin (Lund Fellow) and Dalhousie University (Killam Fellow), he returned to take up a faculty position in Animal Science. He served there for 15 years where he attained the rank of full professor.

Movie: Fulbrighters on GE in Hong Kong

Concurrent Sessions

Presidents’ Session and Lunch (By Invitation)

Time: 11:00 – 1:30

Facilitator: Dr. Jerry Gaff Senior Scholar, Association of American Colleges and Universities

Dr. Jerry Gaff will facilitate a private session of University Presidents and Heads, and special guests in attendance, on issues and questions elicited from conference participants. The session will be followed by a lunch hosted by Professor Arthur B. Ellis, Provost and Acting President of City University of Hong Kong.

Time: 11:30 – 12:00Venue: M3017 in the CMC Building

Theme 9: Assessment of GE ProgrammesEvaluating Students’ Learning Experiences in a Pilot General Education Program in Hong Kong

SU Yelin, Teaching and Learning Officer for the Centre of Holistic Teaching and Learning, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China;Stephen CHEUNG, Senior Research Assistant for the Centre of Holistic Teaching and Learning, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China;Theresa KWONG, Senior Teaching and Learning Officer for the Centre of Holistic Teaching and Learning, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China;Eva WONG, Director for the Centre of Holistic Teaching and Learning, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Universities in Hong Kong started to develop and implement pilot general education (GE) courses since 2007 as the three year undergraduate degree program is scheduled to transform to four years in September 2012. To ensure the design, development, and implementation of a high quality GE program, gauge students’ learning experiences in GE courses, and provide feedback to faculty members for the improvement of the teaching, the Centre for Holistic Teaching and Learning (CHTL) at the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) designed a Formative Review Exercise (FRE), a longitudinal study which employed two questionnaires for student survey and multiple interviews with faculty members and students to collect empirical data on the quality of teaching and learning in GE courses within the framework of outcomes based approach to student learning (OBASL) at HKBU. The session is designed to share the experiences of the design, implementation, and the result of the FRE. Participants will gain hands-on practices for program evaluation and enhancing student learning experiences.


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Theme 2: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesPromotion of Holistic Development of University Students via the Formal Curriculum

Daniel SHEK, Chair Professor of Applied Social Sciences, Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

With reference to the developmental issues in university students, there is a need to re-examine how universities can promote holistic and balanced development of university students. Based on the positive youth development approach, it is argued that promotion of psychosocial competencies such as resilience, emotional competence, self-understanding and interpersonal skills is an important strategy to facilitate holistic development of university students in Hong Kong. Against the above background, all students admitted to The Hong Kong Polytechnic University under the new undergraduate degree structure in 2012/13 school year are required to take a subject to fulfill the requirement of “Leadership and Intrapersonal Development”. A course entitled “Tomorrow’s Leaders” was developed and piloted twice in response to this requirement. Findings based on different evaluation strategies consistently showed that this course was able to promote the psychosocial competencies and holistic development of the students. Several policy lessons can be learned from the planning and launching of this course, including: a) the need to reinforce the message that intrapersonal development and psychosocial competencies are foundations of leadership, b) resolution of political and regional interest issues, and c) emphasis of the importance of adopting an evidence-based approach in course development, implementation and evaluation.


Themes 3; 1: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentFrom Foundation to Consolidation: An Innovative Model for General Education at HKIEd

Laurance J. SPLITTER, Professor, Education and Philosophy and Director of General Education, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; William SIN, Assistant Professor, General Education Office, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

This presentation will describe some of the features of the “new” GE at HKIEd. The Foundation Course (FC) is a double-semester course for all year one students. Through a thematically-linked sequence of lectures, students are introduced to some of the traditional themes and disciplines in the Arts/Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. They also attend weekly small-class tutorials which will function as communities of inquiry (CoI), where they will develop skills and dispositions appropriate for reflective thinking, dialogue and writing. Members of a CoI regard themselves as one among others, a perspective which enables them to forge meaningful connections between the subject matter they are presented with, and their own ideas, values and goals. But the FC poses several challenges, including: how to integrate disparate topics and disciplines into a coherent course structure, how to create a safe place in which traditionally “quiet” students will become actively engaged, and how to prepare tutors to manage their classrooms appropriately. We will describe our responses to these challenges. All students will take the new Consolidation Course (CC) in their third or fourth year (from 2014). They will work in small teams under the supervision of a course advisor, assisting each other as critical friends in developing their own culminating project, which will utilize e-portfolio technology. The project requires them to reflect critically on their undergraduate experience, and to imagine the kind of future to which they might aspire.


29


Themes 3; 10: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning Aspects of GEImpacts of Lingnan Service-Learning Model: Five Years Outcome Measurement

Polly CHIU Yin-nei, Senior Project Officer, Office of Service-Learning, Lingnan University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Chad CHAN Wing-fung, Project Officer, Office of Service-Learning, Lingnan University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Service-Learning is an experimental pedagogy that students engage in activities that address human and community needs, together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development in a real-life environment. With the Service-Learning platform, students make use of the academic knowledge learnt from classes to strengthen their academic and personal development. The Service-Learning and Research Scheme (SLRS) is the showcase of Lingnan’s Service-Learning model since the establishment of the Office of Service-Learning (OSL) in 2006, which is the manifestation of Lingnan University’s Liberal Arts education and motto “Education for Service”. For evaluating the students’ learning outcomes throughout the program in the past five years (2006-2011), a longitudinal study was conducted for local programs. Students were asked to complete a pre-test questionnaire before the program and a post-teat questionnaire after the program with questions in six domains (subject-related knowledge, communication skills, organizational skills, social competence, problem-solving skills and research skills). 1549 sets of questionnaires were received for analysis. The result was encouraging as significant gains were showed in all domains after the students participating in the Service-Learning Program. OSL is continuously carrying out other projects related to students’ learning outcomes.


Themes 6; 2: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesGateway Education at City University

Ron KWOK Chi Wai, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean, College of Business; Associate Director, EDGE; City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Gateway Education (GE) at City University covers the domains of English; Chinese Civilization; Arts and Humanities; the Study of Societies, Social and Business Organizations; and Science and Technology. It will account for 25% of the four year undergraduate curriculum, beginning in 2012. Over a period of five years, courses have been developed within these domains. Quality control systems have been put in place for approval and review of courses, seminars have been held for faculty members to help them in the development of the courses, and incentive schemes have been established to encourage faculty to develop GE high-quality courses. Integral to a modern university’s educational efforts is to help students gain knowledge and develop skills. Gateway Education at City University follows the Outcome Based Teaching and Learning curriculum of constructive alignment, so nine Programme Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOS) are specified. The Course Intended Learning Outcomes of each GE course are then aligned with the PILOS. In addition, elements of CityU’s Discovery-Enriched Curriculum are being incorporated into the GE programme. The presentation will discuss these elements of CityU’s GE Programme.


Themes 6; 3: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesFrom World Civilizations to Dialogues: The Genesis of General Education Foundation in CUHK


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LEUNG Mei Yee, Director of General Education Foundation Programme and Associate Director of University General Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

For the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the conversion to a four year undergraduate curriculum is an opportunity to introduce a component of common learning experience in its originally distributive general education programme. Creating a core that is required of all students can facilitate freshmen’s academic transition, set a higher expectation of university learning, and build a more cohesive sense of community of learners. The newly added 6 credit units are thus designated as the General Education Foundation (GEF). However, the most critical challenge is to identify what is the essential knowledge that all the students should acquire. Starting from a more traditional concept of world civilization course which aims at introducing to students essential characteristics of Chinese and Western civilizations the GEF evolves into two courses which put emphasis on dialogues. The two theme-based seminar courses, namely “In Dialogue with Humanity” and “In Dialogue with Nature”, prompt students into dialogue with classic texts first-hand, and into dialogue with teachers and fellow students on question of major human concerns. From the findings of student focus group interviews, these dialogues did engage students to examine their own beliefs and values, and empower them to be independent and critical learners.


Theme 9: Assessment of GE ProgrammesTrust: A Missing Ingredient in University Curriculum and Assessment Reform?

David CARLESS, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Trust has long been recognized as an important issue in various fields, including economics, political science, sociology and organizational theory. Trust or distrust is also central to reform or conservatism in relation to assessment processes which lie at the heart of attempts to reform the curriculum.

Principled assessment for the new curriculum in Hong Kong requires three interrelated components: assessment task design which promotes the desired attributes of the curriculum; participative assessment in which students engage with criteria and the work of their peers; and sustainable feedback in which students come to rely more on their own self-evaluative capacities and less on the advice of a tutor. I apply the notions of trust and distrust to these elements by exploring the following questions. To what extent are innovative assessments trusted and is conservatism in assessment much of the reason for the dominance of essays and examinations? To what extent do teachers trust students to take responsibility for their own learning; self-evaluate themselves appropriately; and provide constructive critique of the work of peers? To what extent do trusting relationships facilitate a dialogic feedback process? Some suggestions for enhancing trust are proposed, including an open, trusting and dialogic approach to teaching.


Theme 7: Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyCommon Core Course Development – An Extraordinary Wholesale Migration of Existing GE Courses at HKUST and Development of New Studio Arts Courses

King L. CHOW, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong S.A.R., China;LI Chi Kwong, The College of Williams and Mary, United States

At HKUST, about two-thirds of the 230+ common core courses for the new 4-year undergraduate curriculum are migrated from the existing general education courses designated for the 3-year curriculum. The migration exercise has just been completed in May 2012. In the 3-year curriculum, our general education component was designed as a school-based distribution requirement. Students take general education courses offered by Schools other than their enrolled School. Under the new 4-year curriculum model, common core courses are grouped in distinct non-disciplinary categories, each with


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clearly defined learning outcomes. Students need to complete specified credits in each of these areas. To prepare for the migration, the University undertook a rigorous review exercise since December 2009 to evaluate the content, learning outcomes, teaching pedagogies and assessment tasks of all existing general education courses, to ensure that these courses are well aligned with the learning outcomes of the common core areas after their successful migration. As a result, close to a hundred existing general education courses have been removed from the list. The same review process and criteria have been applied to close to 80 new common core proposals, leading to an ample supply of interdisciplinary courses and increased their coverage diversity. The University values the benefits of arts education to science and technology students, and takes an exceptional effort to introduce the Arts and Practicum Arts to its common core curriculum. With funding support from the UGC, the University started pilot-runs of studio arts courses since Spring 2010. These courses have a heavy emphasis on hands-on practice of the art. Thanks to the encouraging support from local academics and arts practitioners in the community within Hong Kong and from abroad, a wide range of art courses have been offered in 27 class sections totaling over a thousand student enrollment. The growth of this collection of courses will definitely help shape the Common Core Program at our seemingly heavily research oriented university to develop a very unique character.

Lunch

Time: 12:00 – 1:30Venue: CMC

The Lunch is open to conference participants who have already registered & paid.

Presidents’ Plenary

Time: 1:30 – 2:25Venue: CMC M3017 (LT-1)

Facilitator: Dr. Jerry Gaff, Senior Scholar, Association of American Colleges and Universities

Dr. Jerry Gaff will facilitate this plenary of University Presidents and Heads, on issues and questions elicited from conference participants. Audience members will be invited to engage in the conversation during the plenary.

Concurrent Sessions


Theme 2: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and CoursesA Battle with Academic Capitalism — The Lesson Learnt from the General Education Reform in the Two Universities

Carol LAU Pui-kwan, Teaching Consultant, The Faculty of Social Sciences and Associate Director of the Faculty’s internship program, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Organizational culture proves to be a critical component in understanding the process of planned change and transformation in colleges and universities today. A successful organizational change (curriculum reform) depends on the degree of paradigm shift in the institution. This study explores the role of organizational culture in the general education reform (the 334 scheme) in the two universities – The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). An analytical framework of the organizational culture with eight essential factors is developed in the research, namely i) historical background, ii) mission, iii) leadership, iv) information, v) faculty participation, vi) resources, vii) staff development, and viii) the role of GE unit, all these factors play considerable roles in the reform process. However, the study finds that an unassailable external force is intruding and dominating the organizational culture in the universities – academic capitalism. Academic capitalism refers to a regime that entails colleges and universities engaging in “market and market-like behaviors”. The study shows that academic capitalism is influencing the reform process in the course design, faculty participation, and staff development in the universities. It plays a dominant role in higher education nowadays, and its omnipresent power is shown to be a


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visible threat to general education reform in the universities.


Theme 3: Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesCreative Community and Whole Person Development: Envisioning West Kowloon Cultural District

Paris LAU Chi-Chuen, Lecturer, General Education Centre, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

The West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) project is an important strategic investment of the HKSAR Government to support the development of arts and culture in Hong Kong. 15 performing arts venues of different types and scale, which include Mega Performance Venue, Concert Hall, Chamber Music Hall, Xiqu (traditional Chinese drama) Center, Great Theatres, Medium-sized Theatres, Blackbox Theatres, will be provided in WKCD in phases. Hong Kong as the hub for local, national and international cultural exchange would facilitate an environment for preferred community leaders and active participants in artistic events. Among the 8 universities, PolyU has an overwhelming advantage of physical vicinity and intellectual readiness for social and cultural integrations with the new development. Whole person education as curricular and co-curricular learning activities inside and outside the classroom should involve more interactive exchanges between the artists and the students, the performers and the audiences, the individuals and the community. John Hawkins, in his book The Creative Economy, suggests that all kinds of creativity have three essential conditions: personality, originality and meaning. A creative community necessitates a linkage between the stage, the university and the community where personality can be shaped, originality can be expressed and meanings can be found. In this paper, I would like to investigate theatre arts as an interactive genre of self expressions and creative communications. Different local companies of performing arts and their recent catalogues of performances on the stage of Hong Kong will be reviewed to forward the fermenting possibilities and ecological conditions of a creative community.

Only by envisioning such a future in our mind can we re-think the future direction of general education towards whole person development.


Themes 4; 5: Integration of Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curricula; Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaCritical Reading and Discovery in General Education

Richard SHEUNG, Assistant Professor, Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Reading is an indispensable skill for any “knowledge worker” and should be an integral part of one’s university education, irrespective of area of specialization. But is there more to the utilitarian importance of “reading efficiently” to enable our students to cope with the vast amounts of information that require their attention in their study and working lives? This paper looks at the ways in which the practice of critical reading is often neglected although it can lead to insightful discovery, and cursory reading may only reaffirm the popular myths. My observations are based on my experience of teaching the GE course “Reading Colonialism and The Modern Experience,” whose readings included writings by political, literary and academic authors about identity and other topical issues. The difficulties of critical reading and teaching it, in a second language, will be reviewed vis-a-vis its empowerment of students to discover for themselves, to use Edward Said’s term, the “worldliness” of the texts that they have read. Critical reading as such is important in the training of the student as a meticulous researcher in any discipline. I will attempt in the conclusion to anticipate the challenges of the forthcoming university curriculum reform for my course and suggest strategies to deal with them.


Theme 6: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEAn Interdisciplinary GE Course from Preparation to Execution to Formative Assessment


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Kelvin LEE Kai Wah, Option Coordinator, Digital Graphic Communication, Department of Communication Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; YUEN Pong Chi, Professor and Head, Computer Science Department, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

In this presentation, we are going to share our experience in preparing and executing a newly designed interdisciplinary, team-taught GE course named “Interactive Computing for Visual Communication”. The course idea was spawned from our belief that both visual literacy and computing literacy will be fundamental and critical for our students to stay competitive in the contemporary world despite what their own disciplines may be. However, these two capabilities are usually taught as distinct and non-overlapping subjects. Besides, there is a general misunderstanding that computing literacy demands strong mathematical skills while visual literacy requests gifted artistic talents. We will demonstrate how we tackled this problem from the initial idea formulation to the final course delivery using a holistic pedagogy to integrate these two domains of knowledge under a common framework. We will first discuss the problems we foresaw and how we managed to shape our curriculum structure and course content in response to those challenges. We will then explain how we designed assessments to encourage multiple perspectives in problem solving and linking theory with practice. Case studies of student group projects will be used to illustrate the results of student collaborative learning and synthesis of the diversity of their knowledge and backgrounds. Finally, we will examine assessments of our pedagogy with both quantitative and qualitative data collected through Formative Review Exercises.


Themes 6; 3: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesTeaching Death: A Case Study

Doris W.T. AU Associate Professor, Department of Biology & Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China;

LAM Yun Wah, Associate Professor, Department of Biology & Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Alice M.L. CHONG, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China;Avnita LAKHANI, Assistant Professor, School of Law, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Roman philosopher Seneca argued that one’s life philosophy is dictated by his view on death. Death is therefore an important concept to be introduced to young people at the start of their university education. A multi-disciplinary team, made of a cell biologist, a molecular toxicologist, a social scientist and a lawyer, has recently designed a new Gateway Education Course called “Death: A Discovery Approach”. In this course, first year university students will approach death from four overlapping perspectives: political, scientific, cultural and legal. By encouraging the students to consider death from these diverse or often contradictory angles, we discuss with them the rational and emotional, objective and subjective elements in life and death. The aim of this course is to inspire, using death as an example, the students to examine and evaluate fundamental life questions, hence contributing to their whole person development, especially at spiritual, intellectual, social, aesthetic and emotional levels. In this talk, we will introduce our proposed course objectives and content, and discuss the various challenges involved in building this inter-disciplinary course, including the formation and operation of a teaching team of such diverse backgrounds, and the potentially emotional issues in teaching such a sensitive topic.


Themes 7; 3: Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy; Whole Person Development and Learning Communities Education Reform: Incorporating Creative Thinking Methods In Higher Education

Gladys LAM, Lecturer, Digital Graphic Communication, Department of Communication Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China


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In the 21st century, creativity is highly valued and considered as one of the most essential “soft skills”, not only for student attributes and employment but the success of a business and a more promising future. However, higher education emphasizes heavily on knowledge transmission and critical thinking skills, rarely teaching creative thinking skills formally. Most teachers predominantly use case studies and analysis of repertoire to demonstrate innovation in their specific fields. Creative thinking skills are often assumed to be fostered only in creative writing, art and design disciplines. Instead it is an ability that teachers of every discipline should nurture in all of their students. This presentation will introduce a proposed course of “Developing Creativity” as an elective school core in the School of Communication for the new four-year undergraduate program in Hong Kong Baptist University.


Themes 4; 6: Integration of Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEPromotion of Problem-Based Learning Approach to GE courses

Louis LIU, Instructor, Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is proved to be an effective approach to facilitate students to learn actively. In the PBL approach, students are given world problems to solve. They usually work in small groups and under the guidance of an instructor. There are a number of steps which the students need to go through. They are (i) to determine what the problem is about, (ii) to define what the problem is exactly about, (iii) to sort out the information needed to understand the problem deeply, (iv) to figure out the resources to be used to generate the information needed, (v) to develop possible solutions for the problem, (vi) to analyze the results, and (vii) to present the solution in form of oral/video presentation and written report. There are many advantages of implementing PBL in GE courses. For examples,

students are benefited by (i) improving problem solving ability, (ii) being motivated in critical thinking, (iii) enhancing communication skill, and (iv) improving team-work ability. Teachers renew interest in teaching and are satisfied with their students being actively engaged in learning. In conclusion, PBL is different from general group work because the former requires a student taking an active role in solving the problem.


Themes 1;2: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE Alternative Broadening Experience for Full-time Students of Non-local Degree Programmes under 3-3-4 System

Elim Y.L. TSANG, Taina W.S. YU, Programme Managers, Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education, Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

The change to a 4-year undergraduate curriculum in Hong Kong ushers in a new wave of programme design for general education (GE) courses in the various UGC universities and community college sector. Little attention has been paid to how providers of 3-year full-time non-local degrees respond to the need for broadening of student learning experience beyond the subject major. As a provider of UK degrees from Middlesex and Salford universities delivered in Hong Kong, we share in this presentation our response to the broadening imperative which is instituted through a series of English language enhancement courses and lifelong learning seminars (LLS). The design of such an alternative broadening experience is premised on new students having to undergo transition to both an English language learning environment and to become independent learners. Admission streaming through indirect admission via a Diploma for University Foundation Studies for academically less able students, and direct admission for those meeting required UCAS points, serve to ensure adequate preparation for academic study when students commence first


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year of the 3-year programme. The objective of the LLS is to provide for broadening of learning experience to students in a wide range of topics that can be either academic or non-academic in nature. This is differentiated from GE courses which provide for broadening of learning experience of mainly an academic nature in areas of study other than the student’s chosen programme major. The implementation of the LLS is based on a framework of eight thematic areas (arts and culture, sciences, financial education, youth and society, success and inspirational stories, community service, life skills and career development, student assembly) under which various topics of 1.5-2 hours duration delivered by invited speakers are offered on a year-round schedule. Students will be required to attend at least 6 topics annually (3 each in semesters A and B) and submit reflective journals that are marked and commented. Apart from English enhancement courses and LLS, summer enrolment or year-long exchange in the UK campus would impact on the students the fullness of an overseas study experience. These initiatives will be tried out in future as an alternative broadening experience which although not comparable to the GE courses would nevertheless moderate the singularity of subject focus for overseas 3-year degrees run as locally accredited programmes.

Concurrent Sessions


Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesEmbedded Learning to Learn in the General Education Classroom

John Freeman BABSON, Senior Lecturer in General Education, General Education Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Typically Hong Kong students enter the university with three major obstacles impeding their success: (1) the default use of inappropriate and ineffective study habits; (2) inadequate literacy;

and (3) a reluctance to engage in an enquiry oriented learning environment. The first two are a direct result of an overly test-oriented secondary school culture, the last due to a common East Asian Confucian orientation towards education (“shut up and [pretend to] listen to honorable teacher). To overcome such obstacles active intervention is needed. In the PolyU, this is known as “learning to learn”. A decade ago, a meta-analysis of the world literature was carried out by the Educational Development Centre of the PolyU which showed that students tend to blow off special classes devoted to “how to study” and that it is more effective to embed good practices into regular classes. This presentation will report on experiences gained in experimenting with and promulgating embedded learning to learn in some General Education classes over the past decade. The presenter teaches general science classes (astronomy and ecology) and will share some of the pedagogical techniques which have worked particularly well in helping students to learn how to learn.


Themes 1; 2; 5: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaA Higher Status for Writing in the Four-year Curriculum: The Enhanced General Education Model at PolyU

Dureshahwar (Shari) LUGHMANI, Senior Lecturer, English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has undertaken an ambitious project of implementing Reading and Writing Requirements (R&W) for graduation in the four-year curriculum through integrating writing into its general education (GE) subjects. The University requires the GE subject leaders to collaborate with the English Language Centre for an embedded approach to assisting students develop their writing skills


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through two writing tutorials before completing an academically rigorous paper of 2,500 words. The aim is to provide developmental feedback for revision and improvement to students, in order to enhance their writing and editing skills. The English Language Centre has developed an R&W implementation model to support the students, the faculty members and language teachers as a three-pronged approach to constructing scaffolding for genre-related language development in students’ writing. This paper chronicles the journey of piloting the implementation model for integrating the Writing Requirement in seven general education pilot subjects over three semesters. Data from pre and post programme questionnaires conducted among students, focus groups after tutorials and post-course interviews with faculty staff and language teachers shed light on the effectiveness of the model and how the model was modified and developed to respond to the needs of the disciplines, genres and genre-related language development.


Themes 2; 7: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyGeneral Education in Hong Kong: Contradictions, Tensions, and Strategies of Implementation

David JAFFEE, Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of North Florida, United States

In 2012 Hong Kong universities will extend the length of the undergraduate degree and add General Education as a degree requirement. This initiative represents a unique case of comprehensive organizational change of higher education. This paper examines the most pressing and challenging contradictions and tensions facing this initiative. These include the prior institutionalization of the British system of education and the prevailing culture of teaching and learning in Hong Kong. The nature of these pre-existing conditions, and their contradictory

relationship to the substance and purpose of general and liberal education, are outlined. In addition, the paper will point to some of the unique aspects of building General Education programs in a Hong Kong context. The paper delineates some of the strategies developed to address the existing and emerging tensions. The analysis is based on first-hand observation and participation by the author as a General Education Fulbright fellow in academic year 2010-2011.


Theme 5: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaAcademic Literacy Levels: What do our Students Need to Access General Education?

Jane LOCKWOOD, Head, English Language Centre and Associate Professor, Department of English, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

The current move towards liberal studies and general education in Hong Kong in the secondary and tertiary sectors bodes well for the development of critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills in the territory’s younger population. These characteristics are highly valued in the globalized workplace. However, where the medium of secondary and tertiary instruction is English, it is critical for Hong Kong students to be at good enough academic literacy threshold levels to participate in these innovative programs. But what are these threshold levels? Do Hong Kong students entering these programs have sufficient English to benefit from them and how do we support them if they don’t? This paper will attempt to answer these questions at the tertiary level by looking at current research and practice across university language and literacy support programs in both international and local contexts. Finally, this paper will further problematize this issue by sharing current examples of general education assignment writing at the undergraduate level from a Hong Kong university.


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Theme 5: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaDeveloping any Area of Academic Literacy via Corpus Consultation & Concordancing: The Example of LegalEasy

Nigel BRUCE, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

This paper proposes a pedagogical approach that offers students in largely ESL-medium universities a self-access, web-based approach to enhancing their academic literacy, in whatever subject. The approach presumes the futility of prescriptive attempts to teach or correct university students’ errors and language transfer habits — especially given the diversity of subjects now being offered in the Common Core curriculum, and the paucity of contact hours available at tertiary level to develop students’ disciplinary literacy. The great advantage of moving to a descriptive learning paradigm for developing disciplinary literacy is that the external arbiter — the language teacher or textbook — is replaced by the balance of evidence, much as in a courtroom. The legal literacy example used in this presentation — LegalEasy — was developed to offer law students a means of accommodating their personal lexico-grammars to the judicial discourse they are challenged to emulate in their legal education. LegalEasy combines authentic legal corpora with a learner-friendly concordancer to offer law students rapid answers to their search for the most frequent forms of legal expression for what they are trying to write. I argue that this same principle can be extended to any area of academic study and indeed any language.


Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentThe Fulbright General Education Program in Hong Kong: Lessons Learned

Kay H. SMITH, Associate Vice President for the Academic Experience, College of Charleston, United States;

Dayle M. SMITH, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, School of Management, University of San Francisco, United States

The Fulbright General Education program in Hong Kong has significantly contributed to the dialogue about general education in Hong Kong. In many cases, Fulbright Fellows have helped Hong Kong universities define general education, create curricula, develop goals and outcomes, structure assessment, start pilots, foster faculty development plans, provide workshops and work with colleagues to manage change processes. What have the four cohorts of Fulbright Fellows learned from this experience? This roundtable will invite each cohort to report and comment on their experiences, focusing on what they learned, what they were able to accomplish, and what they took back with them to their home institutions. Kay Smith and Dayle Smith, from cohort three (2010-11), will serve as conveners and will work with participants ahead of time to focus and organize their viewpoints and comments. Participants will be asked to examine their experiences and outcomes both as members of cohorts from each of the participating Hong Kong institutions and as members of each annual Fulbright cohort.


Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentBarriers to Change: General Education in Hong Kong

A. Reza HOSHMAND, Professor and Director of General Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

This presentation will address issues related to change in Higher Education institutions in Hong Kong and discuss the barriers that currently exist. A review of literature on issues of change in higher education will be presented with the hope that lessons could be drawn from them and how Hong Kong institutions may apply them to overcome some of these barriers. The challenge for institutionalization of General Education comes from two sources within the institutions. There is apprehension on the part of the academic


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colleagues who simply see their primary role as researchers that often conflict with their role in teaching and service. Additionally, it is perceived that General Education teaching, by nature of pedagogy, requires more time and effort than a course in the major. This alone is a major issue that inhibits colleagues to design, develop and deliver General Education courses that will be meaningful and have a lasting impact on the academic life of the student. How best to overcome this hindrance, requires an intentional approach by administrators in dealing with the institutionalization of the General Education Programme. The lesson one learns from the experiences of other institutions around the world is that the more successful cases of coping with change recognizes that the change process goes through a series of phases, that in total, usually require a considerable length of time. Skipping steps creates only the illusion of speed and never produces a satisfying result. Secondly, critical mistakes in any of the phases can have severe consequences, slowing momentum and negating hard-won gains.


Themes 10; 6: Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning Aspects of GE; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GESelf-Interpretation of Student Dreams as a Tool for Personal Growth in General Education Classes

Stephen R. PALMQUIST, Professor, Department of Religion and Philosophy, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

This seminar/workshop introduces participants to an effective, practical procedure for encouraging students in General Education classes to experience genuine, meaningful personal growth on issues specifically relevant to themselves, through a process of guided dream interpretation. After a brief introduction to the theories of dream interpretation developed by Sigmund Freud and (especially) Carl Jung, the coordinator/presenter will explain how these (or other, similarly growth-oriented) psychological theories can become the basis for students to compile a “dream diary” over a 10-week period during the semester. While on

the one hand the project is extremely subjective (i.e., students are encouraged to use their dreams to discover specific areas of potential self-transformation, the accuracy and meaningfulness of which they alone can verify), on the other hand the grading procedure can be highly objective. A precisely-defined, 10-item grading scale will be introduced, with an explanation of how to use it as the basis for a fair assessment procedure. Examples will be given of personal growth actually experienced by students as a direct result of the dream work they did in GE classes that have been taught by the coordinator/presenter during the past 25 years in Hong Kong.

Concurrent Sessions


Theme 3: Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesEmbracing the Whole Person Development by General Education

David HO Wai Lun, Vocational Training Council, Student Development Office, Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE), Hong Kong S.A.R., China

General Education is the core component of the education reform. It aims to motivate students to learn, to enhance their knowledge and abilities, and develop in them positive values and attitudes to establish a solid foundation for lifelong learning and whole-person development. The researcher has worked in the higher education for 4 years and realizes that if we can design the modules which have the elements of community participation, then, to a larger extend, we can achieve the spirit of whole person development. A number of case studies from my taught modules will be shared.


Theme 3: Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesCreating a Whole Person — Positioning Creative Education in Tertiary General Education Curriculum in Hong Kong


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Sharon LEUNG Yuet Mei, College Senior Lecturer, HKU SPACE Community College, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

What is creativity? Can it be taught? How? This presentation attempts to answer these fundamental questions of creative education by challenging the common practice in the academia which regards creativity as only skills and creative calibers as professionals, if not talents. Instead, it argues that creativity is an attitude which is an indispensable contributing part of whole-person development to be nurtured in general education. The presentation begins with identifying the rather unexplored area of creativity, the creative self, and analyzes the significance of which in shaping a person’s attitude towards his life. Common traits of attitude of creative calibers, including their passion, knowledge, concentration, actualization and life value are then examined. Objectives and possible methodologies of creative education are proposed accordingly. By enacting individual autonomy, resilience, empathy and taste as learning outcomes of creative education, the final note of the presentation questions the instrumental style of teaching creativity nowadays whilst reasserting the value of creative education in the improvement of humanity.


Theme 5: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula How to “Demonstrate the Capacity for Self-directed Learning” Through Peer Collaboration and Writing

Jessica LIAN, Visiting Tutor, English Language Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

The idea of “self-directed learning” in a classroom environment appears contradictory particularly in Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions. After years of accepting the authority of their teachers, first-year students are suddenly told to become independent learners by their university instructors. While the transition from secondary to tertiary education demands a shift from

passive to active learning, first-year students are ill-equipped to make the transition by themselves. This presentation advocates the use of peer collaborative learning to assist students in their transition to the university classroom. Using the Language Clinic at the City University of Hong Kong as a case study, this presentation will demonstrate how collaborative learning transforms students into autonomous learners through writing. As the hardest language skill to acquire, writing requires students to utilize their knowledge of English in order to produce original writing. As a result, students must shift from their previous, secondary school roles as learners of English to their new university roles as users of English. Through a collaborative learning approach to their writing, students not only engage each other in their learning by discussing their writing processes, but also support each other in their goals to become independent learners and writers of English.


Themes 7; 1: Students and general education in the 21st century economy; leadership in curriculum reform and faculty developmentErikson, Vygotsky, and Illeris: Implications/Challenges of Hong Kong’s University Reforms

Roger Y. CHAO Jr., Ph.D. Candidate, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

From an educational psychological perspective, Hong Kong’s 3-3-4 and general education reforms are analyzed to understand the implications of such reforms to the learning process. Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development, and Illeris comprehensive learning theory will be used to explain challenges to the learning process in terms of appropriate psychosocial, emotive and cognitive development and readiness of both students and teachers under the above mentioned university reforms. Hong Kong’s initiatives to prepare for the implementation of the 3-3-4 reforms both at the secondary education level, capacity building, information dissemination, and its facilitating international recognition agreements are discussed and


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analyzed. Its adequateness to handle key educational challenges related to the 3-3-4 and introduction of general education are questioned, and recommendations to increase capacity and preparedness are advanced in this paper.


Themes 10; 12: Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning Aspects of GE; Service and Community Based Learning The Importance of Incorporating Reflectivity into Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning: A Case Study of Service-Learning

Carol MA Hok-ka, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Policy and Assistant Director, Office of Service-Learning (OSL) at Lingnan University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Cherry CHEUNG Ching-yi, Senior Project Officer, Office of Service-Learning, Lingnan University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

The value of reflection on experiential learning has been widely studied but limited conclusions can be drawn in practice. This study aims to find out how reflectivity in the reflection model plays an important role in deriving Service-Learning outcomes. With Service-Learning as a case study, this paper not only can identify different Service-Learning outcomes through in-depth content analysis, but more importantly is it can provide a new perspective of studying experiential learning. This paper describes how significance of reflection in authentic assessment of Service-Learning is by conducting a qualitative review of reflective essays written by students participating in Service-Learning programs in 2008-2009.


Themes 12; 2: Service and Community Based Learning; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesDevelopment of Credit-bearing Courses on Service Learning for University Students

Stephen CHAN Chi Fai, Acting Director, Office of Service Learning, Associate Professor, Department of

Computing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Service learning is emphasized in many universities in the Western World and there are research findings showing that service learning is beneficial to the holistic development of university students. In contrast, service learning is rather unsystematic and under-emphasized in universities in Hong Kong. As such, all students admitted to The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) under the new undergraduate degree structure in the 2012-13 school year are required to take a subject in “Service Learning”. To facilitate the implementation of this requirement, subjects on service learning are being piloted in the 2010-2012 school years. The development and piloting exercises of Service Learning subjects within PolyU are described in this paper. Several policy and implementation lessons can be learned from the planning and launching of this course, including: a) changing the mindsets and promoting engagement of colleagues, b) provision of systematic training to teachers, and c) exploring of service learning projects with long-term sustainability; and d) evaluation of the impact of service learning on the holistic development of students over time.


Themes 5; 11: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in the GE Curriculum; Integration of the Study of Asian Cultural Heritages into GE ProgrammesReading the Word to Reading the World(s): Teaching Literature in GE Curriculum

Vicky LEE has been actively involved in the design and review of GE curriculum in sub-degree programmes at Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

The thought of studying literature, to a great majority of Hong Kong students, is sufficient enough to arouse anxiety and fear. The place of literature in the GE curriculum of many institutions had relegated to a level of near extinction to give way to more functional English. Emphasis on practical skills have pre-empted over students’


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response, interpretation and interaction with the nuances of language. The nature of literary texts as a very fertile ground for students’ divergent responses and personal interpretation of the written word is often overlooked. Through creative selection of a variety of accessible texts based on enduring and common sociocultural issues drawing from both Western classics and Asian and Hong Kong literary corpus (with well-designed pedagogies), a GE course could help enhance students’ awareness and de-familiarization of the their own culture(s) while simultaneously foster a sense of self in relation to the inter-connectedness across different heritages both historically and geographically, as they move from the local to the universal. With their fear of English conquered, their attitudes towards English decolonized, students could start connecting the reading of the word with reading of the world(s).


Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesGeneral University Requirements at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: The Underlying Educational Principles and Process of Development

Walter W. YUEN, Vice President of Academic Development, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Under the new 4-year curriculum at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), there are 30 credits in the General University Requirements (GUR) in the areas of language and communication (with Chinese and English reading and writing requirements), freshmen seminars, leadership and intra-personal development, service learning, cluster area requirement, China-related study requirement and healthy life style. It is the vision of PolyU that GUR can help students develop in a holistic manner which contributes to its institutional missions. In addition, the GUR is developed based on a vision that university has a role in “moral education”, helping students to learn to live up to an honorable ideal of personal

integrity. Through the curriculum, university must speak as proponent of high ideals and setting high standards on personal ethics for students, the future leaders for Hong Kong, China and the world.

This paper outlines the development and evolution of GUR at PolyU. In view of the complexity of GUR, piloting exercises were carried out in 2010-2012 school years. Policy lessons that can be learned from the planning and launching of GUR are presented. Using Freshmen Seminars as an example, policy and implementation lessons based on the piloting exercises are highlighted. In addition, as GUR occupies one-fourth of the credits to be taken by PolyU students under the New 4-Year Curriculum, policy lessons pertinent to student advising are discussed.

Plenary

Time: 4:15 – 5:05Venue: CMC M3017 (LT-1)

Keynote: Dr. TU WeimingLifetime Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies, Peking University;Research Professor and Senior Fellow of Asia Center at Harvard University

Keynote: Implications of the Confucian Revival for General Education in East Asia

Tu Weiming, Lifetime Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies at Peking University and Research Professor and Senior Fellow of Asia Center at Harvard University, was born in Kunming and grew up in Taiwan. He received his B.A from Tunghai University in Taiwan, M.A and Ph.D from Harvard University. Tu is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1988-), Executive member of the Federation of International Philosophical Societies (FISP, 2008-) and a tutelary member of the Institute of International Philosophy (IIP2010-). Tu has taught Chinese intellectual history, philosophies of China, and


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Confucian humanism at Tunghai University (1967-68), Princeton University (1967-71), University of California at Berkeley (1971-81), Peking University (1985), Taiwan University (1988), Ecole des Haute Etudes in Paris (1989). He taught at Harvard from 1981 to 2010. He holds honorary professorships (comparable to honorary degrees) from Zhejiang, Sun Yat-sen, Suzhou, Renmin, Jinan, the Foreign Languages University and the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, all in China. He has been awarded honorary degrees from Lehigh, Michigan State (Grand Valley), Shandong (the highest honor confirmed by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China), Tunghai (Taiwan), Lingnan (Hong Kong), King`s College in London, and Macau University, and Soka University. He was invited by the United Nations as a member of the Group of Eminent Persons to facilitate the Dialogue among Civilizations in 2001 and gave a presentation on civilizational dialogue to the Executive Board of UNESCO in 2004. He was the recipient of the grand prize of International T’ogue Society, the second Thomas Berry award for Ecology and Religion, Lifelong Achievement Award by the American Humanist Society, and the first Confucius Cultural Award (Qufu, 2009 ).

He has given keynote addresses/plenary session presentations at world congresses of several disciplines in the humanities and social sciences: the XVIII World Congress of Philosophy in Boston (1998), the Beijing Forum (2004), the World Congress of the History of Religion in Tokyo (2005), the Maimonides Lecture in the XXII World Congress of Philosophy in Seoul (2008), the16th World Congress of Ethnology and Anthropology in Kunming (2009), and the 24th World Congress of the Philosophy of Law in Beijing (2009). He was elected to the Executive Committee of the Federation of International Philosophical Societies (FISP) in 2008. His is on the editorial boards of the Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Philosophy East and West, and Dao. Tu is the author of Confucian Thought in Action: Wang Yangming’s Youth, Zhongyong: an Essay on Confucian Religiousness, Humanity and Self-Cultivation, Way, Learning and Politics, Selfhood as Creative Transformation, and the Global Significance of Concrete Humanity. Tu’s five-volume collected work in Chinese was published in China in 2001. He has been instrumental in developing discourses on dialogue among civilizations, Cultural China, reflection

on the Enlightenment mentality of the modern West, and multiple modernities. He is currently studying the modern transformation of Confucian humanism in East Asia and tapping its spiritual resources for human flourishing in the global community.

Reception

Time: 5:15Venue: CMC, 9th Floor

The Reception is open to conference participants who have already registered & paid.

Day 2: June 13, 2012

Plenary

Time: 9:00 – 10:00Venue: Wei Hing Theatre in the Amenities Building

Panel DiscussionChallenges and Prospects for Whole Person Development in the GE context in Asia

Opening Remarks: Dr. Nancy CHAPMAN, President, United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia

Recent global trends in higher education — including massification, national and international rankings, and student preferences for early specialization and job-related programs — present special challenges to institutions aspiring to ensure the development of their students as whole persons, not just future members of the workforce. At the same time, a growing realization of the limitations of early and narrow specialization provide an opportunity to strengthen broader-based learning at institutions with existing programs as well as those seeking to introduce them. How do presidents make an articulate case for whole person development and build programs that help to realize the full promise of their students? How can they position their institutions to manifest all of the purposes of a university, not just those measured by rankings


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and the job prospects of their graduates? How do leaders balance practical concerns of financial and administrative stability with the need for quality of teaching, innovation, and social mission?

In this panel, presidents of four Asian liberal arts institutions will reflect upon the challenges of being counter-cultural in this environment, and share some of their success stories and best practices.

Panelists: Dr. Haydn CHEN, Dr. Ben MALAYANG, Dr. Alex JESUDASAN, and Dr. Pradit TAKERNGRANGSARIT

V.I.P. Sessions

Time: 10:10 – 12:15Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

Liberal Arts Learning and Soft/Smart Power

Haydn CHEN, Ph.D., President, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan

Tunghai University firmly believes that a university education should include both special learning (hard skills) and Po-Ya/liberal arts learning (soft skills). Tunghai University recently formed a Po-Ya Learning Executive Committee to coordinate and implement courses, activities, programs, events, and projects so that objectives and ability indices can be specifically linked to soft skills. Here I cover four areas: service learning, physical education, international education, and career education. While acquiring knowledge in their fields of expertise, students should learn to give assistance to the needy. Learning outcomes can be recognized as valuable both to the individual and society. Sports enhance students’ physical fitness and personal lifestyles, relieve the pressures of daily life, and develop character through discipline, interaction and teamwork. Students must develop an understanding of world issues, thus the importance of increasing international exchanges and stressing awareness of global events. Access to learning of broader international knowledge should be provided as common subjects. Career education and planning become

increasingly important when higher education becomes mass education. Over the four years, students are encouraged to explore career options (Year 1), develop their functional and professional abilities (Year 2), focus on career planning and practicum (Year 3), and strengthening employability (Year 4).

Haydn Chen, Ph.D., has been President of Tunghai University in Taiwan since 2004. He is currently the Board Chairman of the Association of Private Universities and Colleges, a non-profit organization established to facilitate cooperation between and development of private higher education institutions in Taiwan. He was formerly Chair Professor of Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, and Head of the Department of Physics and Materials Science. From 1978 until 2000, he was Professor, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and served as division chair and associate in the Office of Vice President.

Time: 10:10 – 11:10Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

Developing Passionate Faculty in the Pursuit of Excellence

Mercy PUSHPALATHA, Ph.D., Principal & Secretary, Lady Doak College, Madurai, India

In Indian Higher Education, there is a national thrust for expansion. Increasingly, technical institutions are preferred by applicants over liberal arts colleges. The challenge for these colleges is to bring about reforms in the curriculum which can foster qualitative change, establishing a dynamic system of excellence. Faculty, however, often resist change in the name of ‘tradition’ and ‘values’, comprising a challenge to leadership to balance tradition with globalizing forces. University leaders need be flexible in accommodating positive change which can lead to qualitative progression. Higher education today is learner-centered, with the learner as a customer who needs to be globally competent. This forces a restructuring of the existing curricular model, and highlights the need to motivate educators to overcome their resistance to change, to become


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facilitators in the classroom. My presentation will focus on the inspirational leadership involved in dynamic curricular reforms for quality change and the varied steps to be taken in enriching the faculty for such a quality change. Lady Doak College is currently involved in restructuring the undergraduate curriculum as an integrated model. Accordingly the pedagogy and evaluation need to be changed. The challenges faced during this process of change and the proactive responses to the challenges will be discussed in my presentation.

Dr. Mercy Pushpalatha is the Principal and Secretary of Lady Doak College in Madurai, India. She is an alumna of Lady Doak College, and received her Master’s In Philosophy in Chemistry from Madurai Kamaraj University, and Ph.D. From Alagappa University. She has taught chemistry since 1981, and has rich research experience, with several journal articles and book chapters. She has presented papers at international service-learning conferences, and hosted a service-learning conference at Lady Doak College. Dr. Mercy has been a United Board Fellow at International Christian University, Japan, and Randolph Macon Women’s College, Virginia, USA.

Time: 10:10 – 11:10Venue: C Y Sun Lecture Theatre (LT-3) in Academic Building 1

SWU PLUS: The Advancement of College Education in Seoul Women’s University

Kyung Won PARK, Ph.D., Dean of Academic Affairs, Seoul Women’s University, Korea

In 2010, Seoul Women’s University launched a new program (SWU PLUS) for advancing college education, funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. The Ministry selected 11 universities as competing models for advancing college education, each university receiving up to US$10 million over 4 years. In this presentation, the background, goal and objectives, and framework of the program “SWU PLUS: The Advancement of College Education” are explained. This program is focused on general education and non-curricular programs. It has a quality management scheme of CQI+. The university leadership role, commitments

of professors and administrative staffs, organizational settings, and student engagements are important for the success of the new program. What is the strategy to motivate professors, and encourage students to be engaged to learning? Which programs are promising and which ones are not? These and a number of other salient issues are discussed.

Kyung-Won Park, Ph.D., is Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of Advancement of College Education Initiative, Seoul Women’s University, and professor in the Department of Public Administration. He previously served as Dean of Planning, and Director, Social Sciences Research Institute. He earned a B.A., M.A., and Ph. D.(1989) in Public Administration from Yonsei University, Korea, and was a visiting scholar at the Institute of Government Studies, University of California, Berkeley. Research interests include organizational change, government reinvention, and collaborative planning. He was previously Vice President of the Korea Association of Public Administration, and President of the Korean Association for Governance Studies.


Change and Continuity: Reflections on Globalisation at Yonsei University and the Expansion of Underwood International College

Paul TONKS, Ph.D., Associate Dean for International Affairs, Yonsei University, Korea & Former Common Curriculum Chair, Underwood International College, Yonsei University, Korea

Yonsei University has always been, and remains, at the very forefront of academic globalisation in Korea. At the heart of its recent drive towards achieving an increased global stature has been the establishment of Underwood International College (UIC), a 4 Year undergraduate all-English Liberal Arts programme within the larger institution of Yonsei University. Since admitting its first class in 2006, UIC has undergone rapid change, with hugely expanding faculty and student body. It has gone from a small unit with


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less than half a dozen foreign faculty members to a College comprised of 3 Divisions across 2 Campuses and almost 30 core International faculty members from across the globe. Launching and sustaining new academic programmes and courses on such an ambitious scale has involved tremendous practical challenges. Constant change certainly has been a crucial theme of UIC’s pioneering role at the centre of Yonsei University’s dynamic globalisation efforts, then. Whilst change has been a constant theme, continuity has been crucial to the success of UIC as a cornerstone of Yonsei’s drive towards becoming a genuinely world class and globalised University. This essential platform of continuity has been built upon the fundamental foundations of a core Liberal Arts Curriculum.

Paul Tonks is the Associate Dean for International Affairs at Yonsei University, the leading private comprehensive University in South Korea. Prior to taking up his current role at the Office of International Affairs, Dr. Tonks served as Chair of the Common (Liberal Arts) Curriculum at Underwood International College at Yonsei University from 2009-2012. Originally from the UK, he took his undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford and then did his MA and PhD (History) at Johns Hopkins University in the US. Dr. Tonks joined the Underwood International College at Yonsei University in 2006, the first year of its operation.



Samuel Ngun LING, Ph.D., President, Myanmar Institute of Theology, Myanmar

Myanmar Institute of Theology, founded in 1927, is committed to equip men and women for the Christian ministry and service in the world. The institute provides Theology and Liberal Arts education in response to the demand and needs of the community. The first curriculum reform was made in 2006, followed by a second round in 2011. The purpose of the reform has been to develop a

standardized curriculum that reflects local issues and needs, to equip students for professions in their related communities. The reform is also aimed at reviewing, evaluating, revising, and adapting the liberal arts curriculum to future needs, as we seek accreditation for the program. Learning from and listening to the reform experience of other colleges is extremely helpful for shining a light on our own situation. Liberal Arts education cannot succeed or be effective in realizing future needs or making an impact on the community without qualified or competent teachers or sufficient human resources. Faculty development is thus crucial for developing quality liberal arts education.

An ordained Baptist minister with many years serving the church, Samuel Ling joined the faculty of Myanmar Institute of Theology in 1998 as Professor of Systematic Theology. He has served in various capacities, including Dean of Students, Director of the Judson Research Center, and as president since 2010. He has been actively involved in ecumenical activities at national and international levels. Among his publications is “Communicating Christ in Myanmar: Issues, Interactions and Perspectives” (2005) and numerous articles on contextual theologies both in English and Chin ethnic languages.


Transforming the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum to Respond to the Demands of Globalization and Greater Professional Specialization: Ateneo de Manila University 1994-98

Bienvenido F. NEBRES, S.J., Ph.D., Immediate Former President, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines

Ateneo de Manila College, a traditionally liberal arts college since its beginnings in 1859, went through a radical restructuring in the 1990s, from a unitary School of Arts and Sciences under one Dean to four schools (Humanities, Management, Science and Engineering, and Social Sciences) with four Deans under a Vice-President. The most important and most difficult part was involving all


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stakeholders to agree on the common Liberal Arts Curriculum. Two more years were needed to revise the individual curricula. Implementation began in 1998, though it took two more years to complete the restructuring into four schools. Reflecting on the process, Dr. Mari-Jo Ruiz, the Dean who supervised the process, wrote: “…[W]e grew as a community. We learned to appreciate what each had to offer. Because of the intense involvement of almost everyone in the process, we all owned the final product. We started as many voices; in the end, we spoke as one voice… With the strong community…, we could promptly attend to a directive from our president, Fr. Ben, and move on to an even bigger undertaking – the restructuring of the School of Arts and Sciences into the four Loyola Schools that we have today: vibrant, thriving, moving forward.”

Bienvenido F. Nebres is Professor of Mathematics and of Leadership Studies at Ateneo de Manila University. He was President of the University, 1993-2011. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Stanford University in 1970. He has served on many University Boards of Trustees, notably Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) and Regis University (Denver). He is currently a Trustee of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia. He has served on the Board of Directors of Philippine Long Distance Company and other companies, and has been involved in national projects to improve science and technology and elementary/high school education in the Philippines.

Lunch

Time: 12:30 – 1:45Venue: Amenities Building 9th Floor


Plenary


Co-designing a Liberal Arts Curriculum in Singapore

Keynote: Professor Deborah DAVIS, Professor of Sociology and Director of Graduate Studies in East Asian Studies, Yale University

In 2009 faculty and administrators at the National University of Singapore and Yale University began a conversation about how to design a small residential college offering a liberal arts education in Singapore. In 2011 the Ministry of Education committed to establishing the college, now named YNC (Yale-National University of Singapore College) , with the first class of 150 to arrive in July 2013. The search for the inaugural faculty formally commenced and over the next ten months, three faculty committees each co-chaired by one NUS faculty and one Yale faculty (one for humanities, one for social sciences, and one for sciences) reviewed over 2,000 applications. As of May 2012 YNC had made 45 offers across the three divisions. For the next 12 months these faculty will work jointly with each other and with Yale faculty to develop the common curriculum of 11 courses required of all students. The keynote summarizes the experience of these past several years and considers the challenges of replication beyond one particular experiment.

Concurrent Sessions


Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentWorkshop: Leadership that Works: Developing a Campus Action Plan for Creating and Sustaining General Education Curriculum Reform

Susan GANO-PHILLIPS, Professor and Chairperson of Psychology, University of Michigan — Flint, United States

Based on an understanding that general education reform often involves organizational change and cultural reform (Awbrey, 2005), this session presents a series of 7 universal issues influencing general education curriculum


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reform and faculty development - leadership, communication, constituent engagement, time frames, use of local and national data, governance, and campus politics — and encourages participants to explore the meaning of these issues on their respective home campuses. After introducing a process-centered approach to curriculum reform, participants will be guided to consider issues of organizational structure and culture that may either facilitate or inhibit curricular innovation on their campuses. This session invites participants to develop an action plan to take back to their campuses that guides the planning and implementation of large scale institutional change and that anticipates common challenges in the development and implementation of a general education curriculum.

This session is suitable for novice or advanced audiences who are charged with contributing to or leading the initial development or reform of general education curricula. The anticipated outcomes of this session include an understanding of key features of process-centered reform, as well as increased confidence in participants’ abilities to assess factors unique to their home campuses and to problem-solve solutions to effect substantive and sustainable general education curricular changes.

Venue: LT-4 in Academic Building 1

Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesWorkshop: Change Management in Undergraduate Curriculum Reform: Process and Product

Susan CARVALHO, Associate Provost for International Programs, University of Kentucky, United States;Mike MULLEN, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, University of Kentucky, United States

The University of Kentucky undertook complete reform of its 23-year-old General Education curriculum in 2006, but the effort failed. Having learned valuable lessons, we began the process

anew in 2008, and the result (implemented Fall 2011) is an integrated, student-centered global curriculum that has broad acceptance by faculty and students across the campus and the state, and is viewed as a model for leadership in change management. We propose to conduct an 80-minute workshop. The initial 15-to-20-minute presentations by Dr. Susan Carvalho and Dr. Mike Mullen, the architects of our General Education reform, will address the lessons learned from both failure and success. The second half of the workshop (40 minutes) will allow participants to consider how to apply these general concepts to their own institutional contexts. The general themes of our workshop will focus on a) how to establish and guide a participatory process, and b) how to set up structures that ensure adherence to agreed-upon learning outcomes while still allowing for faculty and disciplinary flexibility as well as change over time. The working portion of the session will invite participants to consider their own college, departmental, and faculty governance structures, as well as their national accreditation context (ministry or central control versus institutional autonomy) to apply these lessons to their own curricular reform.

Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

Themes 1; 6: Leadership in Curriculum Reform; Case studies in developing interdisciplinary curricula for GE Roundtable Discussion: From Specialized to General and Liberal: General Education and University Curriculum Reform in China

CHEN Shuangye, Convener, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Policy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; LU Xiaodong, Associate Dean of Yuanpei College, Peking University, China;FANG Zhimei, Dean of Yangming College, Ningbo University, China;CHEN Jin, Associate Dean of Undergraduate School, Zhejiang University, China

Undergraduate education in Chinese universities have long been shadowed by the institutional


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skeleton of specializations (Zhuanye 專業) inherited from the former Soviet Union HE model. After the HE expansion in China, some universities initiated their undergraduate curriculum reform projects which aim at liberalizing undergraduate students institutionally and educationally. Therefore general education in the forms of Harvard College or core curriculum have been experimented with and practiced at various Chinese universities. Yuanpei College was pioneering this trend of introducing general education in undergraduate education at Peking University since 2001. Unlike the practice in a top university, Ningbo University as a local university explored a different route to establish their Yangming college in 2007. Despite the college model, Zhejiang University launched the first undergraduate school in 2008 in China to test their idea of an integrated undergraduate education. At the same time, Najing University developed a holistic reform project to reengineer their undergraduate education preparing students on three stages and from three routes. The above-mentioned reforms are closely related to respective institutional and organizational contexts and collective efforts. In this roundtable discussion, the convener and presenters will introduce the reforms in each case university and then discuss the major issues identified for positive future development.

Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

Theme 2: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesRoundtable Discussion: Transferability of General Education Credits between the Sub-degree and Degree Sectors

Working Group on General Education Curriculum, Federation for Self-financing Tertiary Education, Hong Kong S.A.R., China (Contact person: F. T. Chan)

Under the New Academic Structure, universities in Hong Kong have been reforming their degree curricula. General Education (GE) is becoming an important component in the 4-year degree curricula across all disciplines. Sub-degree

(Associate Degree and Higher Diploma) programmes, positioning themselves as the first two years of the full degree programmes, have to enable their graduates to articulate their studies into the new degree programmes. While the practice of transferring credits of disciplinary courses has generally been established in the past, the transfer of general education credits has yet to be developed. Among the responses made by the HKSAR Government to the “Aspirations for the Higher Education System in Hong Kong” report published by the University Grants Committee (UGC) in December 2010, it has been announced that the provision of publicly-funded senior year degree places to sub-degree graduates would be gradually doubled to 4,000 per annual intake. The Government also supported in principle the development of a vertical Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (CATS) to facilitate articulation from sub-degree programmes to senior year undergraduate entry. It was suggested that a versatile and vertical CATS should be encouraged, including a common credit unit, and extensive bilateral agreements between individual institutions and transparent disclosure of these agreements. Representatives from the degree and sub-degree sectors will be invited to address the issues of establishing general education credit transfer arrangements between the two sectors. One or two Fulbright Visiting Scholars under the General Education project will also be invited to share their views and experience in this subject.


Themes 3; 6: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curriculum for GEWorkshop: Big History: Foundational General Education for the Twenty-First Century

Mojgan BEHMAND, Director of General Education and First Year Experience, Associate Professor of English, Dominican University of California, United States

In 2010, Dominican University launched a first year curriculum consisting of an innovative and high-impact course sequence created in conformity to AAC&U’s Essential Learning Outcomes 1)


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Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World; 2) Intellectual and Practical Skills; and 3) Personal and Social Responsibility. This curriculum provides students with an invigorating common intellectual experience while preparing them to be thoughtful global citizens of the twenty-first century. In the first semester, the content builds entirely on Big History, defined as “a modern, scientific creation story… a history that includes all human societies, and places their histories within the larger histories of the earth and the Universe as a whole”. This narrative emphasizes global interconnectivity with an immense fourteen-billion year framework. The second semester provides a reiteration of the larger concepts of Big History through the lens of a discipline, thus providing a coveted platform for the inclusion of all disciplines. The combination of the traditional Big History survey course with the innovative discipline-based Big History courses creates inter-disciplinary collaboration and counteracts the prevalent fragmentation of knowledge. Students engage with fundamental questions regarding the nature of the universe and their own momentous role in shaping possible futures for the planet in the first year. Institution-wide collaboration and faculty development have been key in the creation and assessment of this program. The goals of the program are achieved through engaged and active learning practices; the seminars are foundational while also teaching written communication and information literacy. Assessment of the program is done through faculty and student surveys, course evaluations, adapted VALUE rubrics and qualitative assessment of reflections and event responses. This session delineates the process for the adoption, implementation, and assessment of such an ambitious program with all its rewards and challenges.


Themes 4; 5; 6: Integration of Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curricula; Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEIntegrating Undergraduate Research into the Course of Educational Psychology — A Case Study of EFL Teacher Students

LIU Yunqiu, Associate Professor, English Department, East China Normal University, China

Undergraduates are often blamed for their poor ability in research. Is research teachable? How can teachers help students improve their research ability? This study explores with a qualitative approach how EFL undergraduates get their research ability developed through an Inquiry Project in a course in Educational Psychology. This course mainly introduces learning theories to students in teacher education program emphasizing the application of theory to classroom practice in order to help them think critically about the research basis for best practices. The assessment is designed to engage students in the Inquiry Project on an issue related to educational environment. An integration of activities is designed to assist students. They then complete the inquiry report. Fifteen final reports are collected as the main sources of data in order to find out what they have learned from the Inquiry Project and if they are able to use the learning theories introduced. The analysis is made mainly from the following aspects: introduction, literature review, methods, results, reflection, conclusion, and bibliography. The study result shows that they not only attain knowledge of learning theory, but also learned to apply them to their practical research and thus get their research ability enhanced.


Theme 5: Enhancement of students’ English language and communication skills in GE curricula Workshop: Beyond the Standard Research Paper: Reconsidering Writing Assignments in the Context of General Education

Paul HANSTEDT, Professor of English, Roanoke College, United States;Joseph CHANEY, Professor and Director of the Master of Liberal Studies Program, Indiana University South Bend, United States

Given the nature of contemporary liberal education, it would seem natural for written assignments in General Education courses to ask students to make connections in integrative ways. Instead, many faculty continue to assign a


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“standard” research paper: “Choose a topic from the syllabus and write a paper in which you add your opinion to the scholarly dialogue.” While there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with such an approach, in the context of GE, it fails to assess students’ ability to synthesize and integrate complex knowledge. This 80-minute workshop will ask participants to explore alternative approaches to assessing student writing in gen ed courses. More particularly, this eighty-minute hands-on workshop will use Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle and an epistemology developed by Danieliwizc and Jack to examine the benefits of “real-world” writing and non-academic audiences. After asking participants to choose a GE class that they’ve taught or would like to teach, we will then experiment with genres, exploring formats — blogs, wikis, brochures, forum discussions, business plans, advocacy papers — that are appropriate for their courses. Participants will develop rhetorical situations in which students are placed in a position of greater authority, fostering greater student ownership of the course material and their own learning.


Themes 6; 7: Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEWorkshop: GE That Grows with the Time and the Student: Rationale and Design of GE Courses for the Junior and Senior Year(s)

Angel LU, Lecturer of English Language and Literature, College of International Education (CIE), Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

It is general consensus that the 21st century economy calls for new kinds of GE courses, among them structured, interdisciplinary courses aiming at problem-solving in the increasingly interconnected and integrated world. Such courses are best placed at more senior years when students can bring trainings in their respective disciplines to advanced-level problem-solving and enterprising informed by professional knowledge from multiple perspectives.

The reality of General Education curriculum is slightly behind this demand: GE courses tend to cluster in the junior years; and often they take the form of survey courses following the tradition of liberal arts education.

This roundtable/workshop studies the new GE curriculum to be offered by the major universities of Hong Kong, making observation of the pattern of distribution of GE courses over the junior and senior years and their respective rationale and design. Instead of following some holistic GE objectives and learning outcomes, we aim to work out through discussion and case studies the beginning of a more fine-tuned GE rationale that formulates different objectives and philosophy of design according to different stages of students’ intellectual and professional growth, one that also better serves students’ needs to work and lead in the fast-changing real world.


Theme 11: Integration of the Study of Asian Cultural Heritages into GE ProgrammesRoundtable: Designing and Teaching Courses about One’s Native Culture, History and Society in a General Education Curriculum

Under the new Four-year Curriculum, Hong Kong university students will receive a general education component which will also include elements of China’s history, culture and society. If the students were to take one or two courses on China (or Hong Kong), what should it/they be like? What considerations should go into designing such a course or courses? How should it/they be taught? By using specific, interdisciplinary examples, the panelists will engage the audience and discuss these questions in order to produce certain desirable outcomes: (1) A broad and balanced understanding of the native culture/history/society; (2) This understanding is to be the result of a critical approach — an exercise of analytical judgment on the students’ part; (3) An exposure to experiential learning; (4) A sound introduction to the subject matter and the academic disciplines which informed the contents of the course(s), thus opening the students’ eyes and minds to higher levels of inquiry in the years


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ahead. One of the panelists will focus on the China side, while the other will demonstrate how, in the United States, the teaching of U.S. history/social studies to American students in a general education environment has been successfully conducted.

Presenters: David PONG, Professor of History and Asian Studies, University of Delaware, United States. Paper topic: “Teaching China’s Civilization in a Chinese (Hong Kong) Environment: What to teach and how to teach it”; Hannah KIM, Assistant Professor of History and Co-cordinator of Social Studies Education, University of Delaware, United States. Paper Topic: “Teaching U.S. History to American Students: Content, Skills, and Pedagogy” Chair: Billy K. L. SO, Head of Humanities Division at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong S.A.R., China. Discussants: Glenn SHIVE, Director, Hong Kong America Center, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Billy SO (see above)

Concurrent Sessions


Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and CoursesGeneral Education Reform in Taiwan — 2007–2015

LIN Chung-I, Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Taipei Medical University (TMU), 2010/08, Taiwan

In 2007, The Ministry of Education at Taiwan launched a four year general education reform project. The pioneering project has initiated and implemented new values, ideas, actions and systems that not only set the stage of the future GE development for the country, but also, and more importantly, help to build a new higher education culture and professional community of GE at Taiwan. I was the Chief Director the project and I would like to share the story with

you. The story of the reform project contains: 1. The motives and the rational of the reform 2. The key elements of the project (1) Pilot Plan for the General Education Centered Higher Education Project a. Core courses b. E/professional courses integrated curriculum c. University curriculum map and mapping d. Student learning portfolio e. Action-oriented and problem-solving-oriented GE courses (2) GE Atmosphere Enhancement Project a. Ideas and ways: GE Modern Classics Translation b. Community: Subsidy Project of Quality Programs of GE c. Award and reward system: National Teacher Awards in GE d. Conferring and bridging: National GE Development Conference e. Brain-storming and professionalism: GE Teachers’ Workshop (3) Pioneering Project of GE Accreditation (or Reviews) 3. The management of the project 4. 2010 and Beyond: The impacts and the implications of the project.


Themes 1; 8: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Use of Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning in Large-Scale CoursesDeveloping and Using Faculty Learning Communities for Curriculum Reform

Spencer BENSON, Director, Center for Teaching Excellence, University of Maryland, United States

Faculty learning communities* (FLCs) are groups of faculty, often from different disciplines, who are engaged in an active sustained year-long program focused on a specific learning challenge, goal, curriculum reform or pedagogical approach. At the University of Maryland we have been using FLCs for more than two-decades to identify and address undergraduate teaching and learning issues. This presentation will provide an overview of the process for establishing and maintaining FLCs using examples from current University of Maryland FLCs. Using a variety of FLCs we have been able to address the challenges of; i) getting faculty to integrate technologies for enhancing learning into their courses, ii) addressing pedagogical challenges in implementing the I-Series Courses -the signature component- of the New General Education Program at Maryland,


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iii) the develop of Blended Learning courses which combine both face-to-face and web-based learning and iv) the ongoing professional development of faculty and senior graduate students. The learning outcome (LO) for this session is: participants will be able to design, develop and implement a FLC focused of an important curriculum challenges for a variety of institution and class types. The session will use both presentation and active engagement techniques. http://www.units.muohio.edu/flc/whatis.php


Themes 2; 6: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEWithin a Broad Policy Theme on ‘Progress and Development’: General Education for ‘Transport and Society’

Ian CHAPLIN, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, The University of Macau, Macau S.A.R., China

It is proposed that a good General Education model based on “the commonality of human experiences, issues that are of prime importance to human beings” (GE Program Aims, University of Macau, 2011) should include interdisciplinary study incorporated into the theme ‘Progress and Development’. This would involve learning about the agents of economic, social, and cultural development. One key area identified within this theme is the study of transport innovation and its role in the progress and development of society. The concept of ‘sustainable mobility’ needs to be advocated for future generations who will increasingly engage in travel for work and leisure. The term can be defined as ‘satisfying current transport and mobility needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet these needs’ (Black, 1996). This proposal includes a description of a course designed to introduce students to local, regional, and national innovation in the provision of transportation and its contribution to economic, social, and

cultural advancement. It is hoped that students undertaking this GE course will gain an awareness of the significance of sustainable mobility issues and the intellectual and practical knowledge needed for the transport sector to contribute to the progress and development of society.


Theme 2: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesThe Challenges and Opportunities of Sub-degree General Education Development under the New Academic Structure

Working Group on General Education Curriculum, Federation for Self-financing Tertiary Education, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Under the New Academic Structure, universities in Hong Kong have been reforming their degree curricula. General Education (GE) is becoming an important component in the 4-year degree curricula across all disciplines. Sub-degree (Associate Degree and Higher Diploma) programmes, positioning as the first two years of the full degree programmes, have to facilitate their graduates to articulate their studies into the new degree programmes. This presentation examines the challenges and opportunities that sub-degree institutions are facing in reforming and enhancing the design and delivery of general education courses in their curricula. As stipulated in the “Revised Common Descriptors for Associate Degree and Higher Diploma Programmes under the New Academic Structure” publicized by the Education Bureau, sub-degree programmes are expected to equip their graduates with a solid foundation of languages and communication skills, quantitative and analytical skills, planning and investigative skills, critical thinking and problem solving skills. At the same time, these programmes have to seek GE credit transfer opportunities with degree programmes, noting that the designs of GE in the universities apparently appear in different forms. It is believed that there is a great opportunity for the sub-degree sector to work together towards a common framework in developing GE curricula and GE courses for the benefit of the whole sector.


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The common framework aims to (i) enhance the quality of sub-degree GE education through the collective wisdoms and sharing of good practices; and (ii) facilitate the credit transfer of GE courses between sub-degree programmes and degree programmes.

Venue:Y4701 in Academic Building 1

Themes 3; 5: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaLanguage Teaching and Learning for General Education: Moving Beyond the Communicative Paradigm to “English for Liberal Arts”

This presentation will explore how the western model of “liberal arts” general education has been and continues to be adapted to a traditionally Confucian educational orientation. It will begin by briefly re-tracing the rise and principles of liberal arts education, the founding of liberal arts colleges first in the United States and later in Japan, and the recent expansion of liberal arts programs at some of Japan’s top universities, including International Christian University, Keio University, and Waseda University. The presentation will then show how the “English for the Liberal Arts” model potentially poses a paradigm that moves beyond the confines of more purely communicative (CLT) skill-based, content-based and EAP approaches by organizing instruction around liberal principles and purposes, such as capacity for critical thinking, problem-solving, curiosity, self-reflection, and global citizenship. In closing, the presentation will describe appropriate curriculum methods and materials for such an approach: readings (theme-based content topics such as “Race” or “Ethics”), lectures (meaningful listening practice through engagement of significant issues), and writing tasks (appropriate genre and evidence use for intellectual inquiry). Paul WADDEN, Senior Lecturer, English for Liberal Arts Program, International Christian University, Japan; Chris HALE, Lecturer, Teachers College Columbia University-Tokyo, Japan & Instructor, English for Liberal Arts Program, International Christian University, Japan


Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum ReformA Model of “Student Learning Outcomes Space” and Mobilization of International Exchange Programs — With Reference to Recent Reforms in Japanese Higher Education

Norihiko SUZUKI, Senior Managing Director of Japan University Accreditation Association and former President of International Christian University, Japan

The Central Educational Council of Japan, an advisory board for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEXT), released in December 2008 its final report on the comprehensive educational system of Japan. The report, “Toward Building Undergraduate Education in Japan” (*1), focuses on emphasizing that higher education in Japan change its objectives and structure from the established 100-year old “Senmon Gakubu” (SG–專門学部) system of education to one calls a “Gakushi Katei” (GK–學士課程) education system. The existing SG system of education is characterized by: 1) students and faculty are rigidly placed into academic departments, 2) applicants (high school students) declare their choice of department (faculty/major) when they take university entrance exams, 3) content of entrance exams differ depending on the department the student hopes to enter, and 4) students, after entering the department stated for their entrance exam, stay in that department until graduation, with little possibility of changing departments. Students take designated courses for their bachelor’s degree with some room for electives. By graduation they are expected to have gained expertise for given professions. The GK system advocated in the report emphasizes levels of learning outcomes for students to attain regardless of their department. In the report, learning outcomes that students are commonly expected to attain are defined in levels from basic to advanced, including such levels as 1) knowledge and understanding, 2) universally applicable skills (e.g., communication skills, and information technologies), 3) attitude and behavioral skills, and 4) comprehensive learning experience and creative thinking. Students, regardless of their department/major, are expected to obtain the


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above abilities/attributes. Changing emphasis of the objectives and structure of higher education in Japan from the SG to the GK system has raised a series of discussions among Japanese colleges and universities. Some believe the direction advocated by such reforms appropriately provides what Japanese society needs to move forward with the globalized society of the 21st century. Others express great confusion and resistance.

This paper examines the problems and prospects of today’s higher education in Japan, and by proposing a three dimensional ‘student learning outcomes space’ it attempts to formulate a generic model of higher education curriculums applicable to any department/major at a Japanese university. The paper also indicates the importance of the course numbering system and proposes a possible path for Japanese higher education towards international student exchange and credit transfer system, which seem indispensable for the internationalization of university education in the 21st century.

*1 “Gakushi Katei Kyoiku no Kochiku ni Mukete” (学士課程教育の構築に向けて)


Themes 3, 12: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Service and Community Based LearningEnhancing Whole Personal Development Through Student-Centered Co-Curricular Activities

Alice Ming-lin CHONG, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Maria HO, Year-2 Social Work Student, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Kin Hang YIM, Research Assistant, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Higher education in Hong Kong is faced with high graduation rate but low motivation in learning, which is contrary to what happens in the West. To enhance undergraduates’ ownership in learning and their whole-person development, a student-centred, non-credit bearing co-curricular program titled “Project X for Learning Excellence” (Project

X) has been specially designed and implemented since 2008/09 by the Department of Applied Social Studies (SS), City University of Hong Kong. Various experiential co-curricular activities are being organized for year 1 students, including (1) program-specific learning communities; (2) academic skills training workshops supported by small group reflection; (3) discovery-oriented community projects (e.g., 3-3-4 Project with a secondary school, Equal Opportunity Advocacy, Circle Art Painting) to connect classroom learning with community issues; and (4) leadership training. Longitudinal study found Project X participation positively associated with CGPAs and psycho-educational competence including self-efficiency, social development and leadership. This presentation will highlight various Project X activities and analyse their impacts on students. A SS Year-2 student and a SS alumnus will also share their learning and personal growth through Project X; and the way they became young leaders to coach a new cohort of students (e.g., being mentors, initiating program-specific training camps, planning community projects).

Concurrent Sessions


Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesLeadership in General Education (3 presentations): 1) Learning to Swim: Directing a Master’s Program in Liberal Arts; 2) The Circus Arts: Administrative Leadership in General Education Programs; 3) Advising as Leadership: Gen Ed from the Ground Up

Joseph CHANEY, Director, MLS, Associate Professor of English, Indiana University South Bend, United States; Gray KOCHHAR-LINDGREN, Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Learning, University of Washington-Bothell, United States; David CAMPION, Pamplin Associate Professor of History, Lewis & Clark College, United States


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This session will attend to the qualities of institutional leadership required to develop and maintain vibrant General Education Programs. We understand leadership to be the capacity to create infrastructure and dynamic relationships from a number of different directions, including formal administrative structures, academic advising, undergraduate and graduate programs, and a learned capability to work across disciplinary boundaries. All three of the presenters served as 2009-10 Fulbright Scholars in General Education, based, respectively, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Baptist University. For each of us, this was a fundamentally delightful experience, which, when we returned to the United States, enabled us to deepen our own learning, teaching, and leadership capacities around General Education within the context of different types of institutions of higher education.


Themes 1; 2: Leadership in Curriculum Reform; Policy lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and CoursesMoving a Mountain: Transforming Temple University’s Intellectual Heritage (IH) Program Curriculum (Great Books/Ideas Courses) and Moving the Faculty to the New Mosaic Course Paradigm

Istvan VARKONYI, Director, General Education Program, Temple University, United States

During the academic year 2007-2008 Temple University undertook what seemed to be an unprecedented move among large urban public institutions(with 25,000+ undergraduates) in the US, namely to shut down the old “Core Curriculum” and institute an new “General Education Curriculum” from one year to the next. At the very center of the new General Education (GenEd) curriculum is the newly re-designed two course sequence: Mosaic: Humanities Seminar I and Mosaic: Humanities Seminar II. This two course sequence, required of all students at Temple’s twelve undergraduate colleges, sits at the very foundations of the GenEd Program, and

thus the content and pedagogy around these two courses had to be brought in line with the new “thematic” approach to the university’s GenEd Program. The task at hand was daunting and faculty members were initially quite reluctant to participate. To overcome this key obstacle some processes needed to be developed and put into place whereby faculty were in control of the curricular development in the Intellectual Heritage Program. In my presentation I wish to elaborate on the processes and leadership used to engage faculty in the development of the content, pedagogy and assessment of the Mosaic: Humanities Seminars.


Themes 4; 11: Integration of Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curricula; Integrating the Study of Asian Cultural Heritages into GE Programmes “Out of the Cultural Ghetto” — An Integrated Approach to Enhance Cross-cultural Understanding in the GE course “Appreciating Masterpieces of Western Culture”

ZHANG Longxi, chair professor of cross-cultural and translation studies, Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; HUANG Yu, post-doctoral fellow, Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Situated in the cultural and economic hub of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong is striving to make its internationalization efforts noticeable as well as promoting pedagogical interaction for students of diverse cultural backgrounds. To enhance students’ understanding of western civilizations, the GE course “Appreciating Masterpieces of Western Culture” examines some of the greatest masters of Western culture with a thematic approach. In the lectures, Prof. Zhang Longxi gives comprehensive introductions to a list of critical ideas in Western history focusing on the Renaissance, the Age of Humanism, the Romantic Movement, and the Modernist Movement, which are supplemented by carefully selected cultural


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masterpieces. After establishing relationships between social movements and art forms, students are encouraged to reflect critically upon their own context and to identify with forms of artistic expression closest to their own human experience. In the tutorials, students from Asian cultural backgrounds (11from mainland China, 10 from Hong Kong, 1 from Taiwan, 1 from Korea and 1 from Sri Lanka) present their comparison and reflections on both the affinities and differences between Western cultures and their own cultural traditions. Online interactions are also facilitated on the Blackboard e-learning system provided by the university. Such an integrated approach not only enriches the students’ cross-cultural literacy but also prepares them to meet global challenges.


Theme 5: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE CurriculaTeaching ESP in University of Science and Technology

TENG Huei-Chun, Professor, Department of Applied Foreign Languages and Dean of College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan

The presentation aims to examine the teaching of English for specific purpose (ESP) in universities of science and technology. Literature on ESP curriculum and pedagogy will be reviewed first, including absolute and variable characteristics of ESP, features to include and avoid in ESP program, modules of ESP curriculum, difficulties faced in promoting ESP, and challenges in designing ESP courses in the Chinese context. In addition, the ESP curriculum in the universities of science and technology in Taiwan will be briefly introduced. Finally, three cases of ESP courses offered in a university of science and technology in Taiwan will be examined. One is teaching English for Science and Technology to students in Department of Mechanical Engineering. Another course is English Conference Presentation offered to graduate students in Department of Electrical Engineering. The other is teaching MBA (Master of Business Administration) students English Speech and Presentation. By providing the descriptive

information, the study is expected to shed some lights on ESP instruction in General Education to English non-major students.


Theme 6: Case studies in developing Interdisciplinary Curriculum for GEUKM Experience in General Education and Curriculum Reform

Khairul Anwar MASTOR, Khalim ZAINAL & Zarina OTHMAN, Center for General Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia

This paper reports the current practices of General Education curriculum at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, a national university in the country. General Education courses have been introduced in UKM since its inception in 1971 with different themes, course name and structures. Generally at UKM and other local Malaysian universities, there are three major parts that constitute General Education program (1) the core category which is common in local colleges and universities. This category consists of two courses are obligatory for all students, made directive from the higher educational authorities: Islamic and Asian Civilization and Ethnic Relation. These two major courses aim to enhance students’ knowledge and mutual understanding about people diversity in their culture, ethnicity, religion and life style that contribute significantly on the development of responsible, ethical and moral citizen; (2) the generic or humanistic skill category which consists of acquisition of soft and professional skills needed for students to function effectively in society and workplace; (3) the liberal course category which consists of general typed courses that broaden the horizon of knowledge beyond one’s academic specialization. These three major categories were considered appropriate that help balance the specific academic major curriculum with the general one. Selected internal studies related to the perceived acceptance of students toward the General Education courses will be reported and discussed — supporting the importance and needs of General Education in higher education curriculum.


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Themes 6; 2: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and Courses.From Pilot to Program: Freshman Clusters and General Education Reform at UCLA

M. Gregory KENDRICK, Director of the Freshman Cluster Program and Professor, Department of History. University of California at Los Angeles, United States

UCLA proposes to address its effort to reform the university’s general education curriculum through the implementation of an interdisciplinary freshman cluster program. Clusters are yearlong courses open only to freshmen, which are taught by collaborative teams of senior faculty and graduate student instructors. During the fall and winter, students attend lecture courses and small discussion and/or laboratory sections. In the spring, they enroll in one of a number of “capstone” seminars that build on their experiences and challenge them to complete a substantive project of their own. Since the inception of this GE initiative in 1998, a total of 15 clusters and 753 spring seminars have been developed and taught, involving a total of 16,322 freshmen, 372 graduate student instructors, and 117 faculty members. A 2011 assessment of the program reported: Faculty find cluster teaching to be both demanding and extremely rewarding; Graduate student instructors grow intellectually and expand their pedagogical repertoires; Freshmen learn to see a topic from alternative perspectives, expand their awareness of contemporary issues, and strengthen their critical thinking and writing skills. The freshman cluster director will address how this program was implemented, the experience of its participants, its overall strengths, and its future challenges.


Theme 6: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GECase Study of General Education Reforms in Korean Universities and Their Implications through the Concept of ‘Competency’

LEE Yonghwan, Professor, Department of Education, Chonnam Nat’l Univ., South Korea;LEE Hyosung, Researcher, Institute of Liberal Education, Chonnam Nat’l Univ., South Korea

Over the past 10 years, competency has become a newly rising concept in general education reform. The OECD has identified the key competencies needed for successful life on the personal level and national development through a research project called Definition and Selection of Key Competencies (DeSeCo). Some English speaking countries have been newly establishing institutions or reforming educational curricula, based on the DeSeCo project identified key competencies. Lately, many universities in Korea have recognized that Korea’s college education focuses mostly on the theoretical side rather than on balancing with the practical side. They are now trying to change and reform their education, through the Korean government’s efforts to improve its college educational system by means of institutional and financial support strategies and the society’s demands for system change. The purpose of this case study is to analyze general education reforms in Korean universities, with the main focus on the concept of ‘competency’. For this purpose, concepts and features of ‘competency’ will be examined and recent general education reform cases at some of the Korea’s prestigious universities will be analyzed. The implications of ‘competency’ on general education reform will be explored.

Day 3, June 14, 2012Plenary


KeynoteProfessor. Edward K. Y. CHEN, Distinguished Fellow, Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong.

Liberal Arts Education: Rationale, Practice, and Prospect


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Liberal arts education has been so often misunderstood and under-valued, not only in Hong Kong and developing countries but even in the United States where liberal arts colleges are most abundant. Actually, liberal arts education should not be defined by disciplines (liberal arts is not arts) but is defined by its distinctive teaching and learning processes. It is so often thought that in this modern world of science and technology, there is little place for liberal arts education. This is however not true. In this ever changing modern world, what we need are people who can adapt to changes, who can create and who can think critically. While science and technology can largely be trained and taught, adaptability, brainpower and creativity can only be nurtured. Liberal arts education arguably is the best form of education which can nurture ‘whole persons’ who are able the meet the challenges of the modern world. The prospect for liberal arts education in general and liberal arts colleges in particular is not promising. In addition to being misunderstood and under-valued, liberal arts colleges face financial challenges of making ends meet. Liberal arts education is good but expensive. The provision of liberal or general education in a conventional university is only a poor second to the education provided by a liberal arts college.

V.I.P. Sessions

Time: 9:35 – 10:25Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) Academic Building 1

Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and Courses

Lucas da COSTA, Ph.D., Rector, Universidade da Paz (UNPAZ), East Timor

The importance of education is unquestionable. However, as local conditions vary, curricula and modes of implementation differ from country to country. In transitional societies, particularly those that have historically experienced a variety of cultural and structural systems, the education system should address the real development needs of the society, but often reflects rather desires of the elites. Timor-Leste is a case in point. 450 years of Portuguese colonial rule was

followed by 24 years of Indonesian occupation, and independence in 2002. Since independence, the leadership has faced a difficult challenge in setting up a proper education system of education for two conflicting reasons: 1) The political elite has adopted Portuguese as an official language, pushing Timor-Leste back to the Portuguese system and 2) most Timorese intellectuals were Indonesia-trained graduates, and favored the Indonesian system. This contradiction deflected--and continues to deflect--attention from the real problem, which is to implement an effective education system with a suitable curriculum. UNPAZ, as a private institution, has tried to set an alternative example by selecting courses related to the process of development, and offering classes in remote areas to open access to those people who cannot come to urban areas for study. Lucas da Costa is currently Rector of Universidade da Paz (UNPAZ), which was recently awarded with European Award for Best Practices by European Society for Quality Research. He is also the Head of Department of Economy at National Parliament of Timor-Leste. He served as Head of Rural Hospital in Tmor-Leste, Head of International Committee of Red Cross in Timor-Leste and Founder and Executive of many Non-government Organizations. He majored in Economics in his Undergraduate studies, Strategic Management in his Master degree and Micro-Economics in his Ph.D. studies.


Developing Anti-corruption Education at Satya Wacana Christian University

Rev. John TITALEY, Th.D., Rector, Satya Wacana Christian University, Indonesia

Starting in 2012, the Indonesian Directorate of Higher Education began endorsing anti-corruption education as part of the curriculum. Satya Wacana Christian University (SWCU) has long focused on the issue, mainly through courses in ethics, and religious and civic education. Corruption is broadly discussed in law courses such as legal ethics, criminal law, legal philosophy and sociology of law. As corruption in Indonesia disturbs the public sense of justice, SWCU has


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established the Center for the Study of Anti-Corruption and Good Governance (CSAC SWCU). The Center is expected to encourage studies on anti-corruption, good governance and integrity. CSAC SWCU is also active in the Indonesian Integrity Education Network, providing an opportunity for professors at SWCU to access information and enhance cooperation with other universities and anti-corruption agencies in Indonesia. SWCU plans to address this issue through the following steps: 1. Anti-corruption education as a subject in character building education; intensifying anti-corruption education through teaching, research, and community service, coordinated through the CSAC SWCU. 2. Encourage faculties to cover ethics in science-related professions and to be coherent with anti-corruption issues. 3. Anti-corruption education focusing on values. The curriculum will build upon these values to dismantle the culture of corruption. 4. Education oriented not only to teaching, but based on experiential learning.

Rev. John Titaley, Th.D. currently has been Rector of Satya Wacana Christian University since 2001. He earned his doctoral degree from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, in Inter-Disciplinary Studies. He is professor of theology of the Faculty of Theology, Satya Wacana Christian University. His academic interest covers areas of Hebrew Bible and religion and society, especially religion and politics.


Curriculum and Learning Reform: Harmonization of Context, Competence, and Content

Dr. Djohan, Duta Wacana Christian University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Curriculum in higher education institutions is renewed periodically for adjustment to the dynamic change of learning community. As a Christian university promoting pluralistic values, Duta Wacana Christian University is developing interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and intercultural learning strategies to meet the demand of professional work and the

community. The dynamic context of science and technology improvement as well as social change is adopted in a formal education system and run as the competence based curriculum. The core of such curriculum is the integration of knowledge, skills, and character. The teaching and learning processes taking place in the classrooms, laboratories, and field not only result in the acquirement of competence but also in the production of goods and services. By interaction with the professionals and community, students obtain feedback as professional advice and personal wise comments. Students design individual profiles of their planned academic and extracurricular activities for the whole four year study period using a computer information system at the orientation time. With such arrangement, special contents in the curriculum can be discussed by students in all class years and external participants. The academic supervisor analyze the results of student learning activities in diverse context, competence, and content and guide the students to reach their personal study goals.

Dr. Djohan is the rector of Duta Wacana Christian University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He is a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Biology. He obtained a Bachelor Degree from the School of Veterinary Medicine of Gadjah Mada University; a Master Degree in Environmental Management from Duke University, NC, USA; and PhD in Environmental Science from Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. His main area of expertise is Environmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment.

Concurrent Sessions


Themes 1; 6: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEInterdisciplinary Education in the Transnational Context: Creating an Innovative GE Curriculum at Duke Kunshan University


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SHI Mingzheng, Executive Director of Duke Kunshan University Initiative, China Duke University, China and United States

Duke University has long been known for its commitment to an interdisciplinary scholarship putting knowledge in service to society. How is this collaborative, integrative inquiry in key areas being promoted in the educational experience of undergraduate students? How can we expose students with transnational backgrounds to a multi-sided understanding of the complex challenges of our time? This presentation will focus on innovative approaches to developing an interdisciplinary, general education curriculum at Duke Kunshan University: (1) an integrated structure for problem-based education, complementing Duke’s current, largely discipline-based curriculum, and generating educational opportunities across disciplines; (2) new interdisciplinary gateway courses, providing exposure for students from all majors, and leading to coherent learning pathways for students whose interest is sparked to engage with these areas in depth; (3) the expansion and coordination of curricular and co-curricular opportunities around key problems; (4) the development of vertically-integrated, interdisciplinary project teams providing opportunities for students at all levels to work together on projects and research related to Initiative themes; and (5) innovative short courses, workshops, and learning boot camps that bring students rapidly up to speed in the specialized terminology and knowledge required to be a productive member of a project team. These approaches will be illustrated with interdisciplinary curricular cases in energy and global health.


Themes 2; 7: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyGeneral Education and Integrative Learning Reform at a Major Research University

Helen DOERPINGHAUS, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies, University of South Carolina, United States

Fall 2012 the University of South Carolina is launching two major university-wide programs to enrich undergraduate learning. The first is a new general education curriculum, the Carolina Core, developed to address the question, “How best can we prepare students to thrive in the 21st century?” A 7-year process involving hundreds of faculty, staff, and students from 14 colleges and 5 campuses led to development of seven core learning areas to form the nucleus of the new curriculum. To enhance relevance the Core requirements were integrated into the program major. At the same time USC also was undergoing reaccreditation which required development of a new initiative to significantly enhance learning for all students. The initiative, USC Connect, also launches in 2012 and further enhances integration, this time between within- and beyond-the-classroom (BTC) learning. BTC pathways include service learning, undergraduate research, international engagement, leadership development, and internships. http://www.aacu.org/aacu_news/AACUNews10/November10/feature.cfm .We present policy lessons from adoption of two major undergraduate learning initiatives at a large research institution. We focus on effective approaches to setting objectives and procedures, faculty/student affairs collaboration, use of technology, taking innovation “to scale”, academic program and proposal approval processes, faculty governance and accreditation procedures, and implementation techniques.


Theme 3: Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesGeneral Education and Whole Person Development: Questions for Learning Communities

Keith MORRISON, Professor and Registrar, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau S.A.R., China


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This paper raises several specific questions in developing General Education (GE). These lie in the areas of: (a) the meanings and development of the ‘whole person’, how GE serves this, how GE moves from statements of knowledge to development of the ‘whole person’, and the role of non-GE learning; (b) ontology and epistemology of GE; (c) GE’s curriculum framing and development; (d) identification of the learning communities for GE; and (e) current trends in GE. This paper argues that current discussions of GE: (i) risk begging questions of the meanings and implementation of ‘general’, ‘whole person’ and its development; (ii) raise problems in respect of curriculum progression, continuity, balance, relevance, breadth, depth, integration and coherence; (iii) sit uncomfortably with some current conceptions of outcomes based education; and (iv) present significant implications for the hidden curriculum of universities. The paper reviews key documents and university practices on GE and argues that GE for whole person development requires attention not only to pedagogy, curricula (in the widest sense, to include hidden curricula) and assessment but also to a reconsideration of the framing of students’ university experiences for promoting lifelong learning. An example of practice in one university in Macau is provided.


Themes 7; 1: Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy; Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentThree Cornerstones for General Education Teaching: Content, Engagement and Transparency


More than twenty years ago Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson developed the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, which helped to shape curriculum design. While the seven principles provide a framework for thinking about teaching and for the construction or revision of courses, recently we (CTE) have developed a simple tool called

“Cornerstones of Good Teaching.” which can serve as a template for daily teaching tasks, such as developing assignments, organizing course materials, and/or building learning modules or activities. By cornerstones we mean essential, basic pedagogical principles that provide an easy framework for effectively build or assessing assignments, projects and courses and for forging deeper learning and understanding. The three cornerstones, content, engagement, and transparency are applicable to all learning environments and can be applied to a variety of courses irrespective of discipline. In the presentation I will describe each of the three cornerstones, provide examples of their application and describe what can happen if one is missing or not aligned and how they interface with outcome-based-learning (OBL), student evaluations and the Seven Principles of Good Practice. Participants will be encouraged to apply the three cornerstones to one of their own assignments.


Themes 7: Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyZayed University’s Brand: Negotiating the Liberal Arts in General Education

Jyoti GREWAL, Dean of University College, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates; Belkeis ALTAREB, Associate Dean of University College, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates

Zayed University has set the standard for higher education institutions in the MENA region by achieving Middle States accreditation, and its cornerstone first-of-its-kind model of a general education curriculum, Colloquy on Integrated Learning. The form is not difficult to recognize but its function is unique to the Middle East. This presentation outlines the innovative ways in which Zayed University prepares Emirati students to negotiate the complexities of a dynamic and multicultural world. The UAE is at the crossroads of this world. Based on a Learning Outcomes-based model, Zayed University’s General Education program creates an intellectual experience shared by all Zayed University students. During


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the first three semesters of their baccalaureate program, students enroll in a standardized core program made up of five sets of closely related interdisciplinary courses devoted to introducing students to University Life, Career Education, Global Awareness, English and Arabic Languages, and Science, Mathematics and Technology. Important since the inception of the Colloquy in 2003, faculty development has been a central component of the program. The focus has remained on faculty-led curricular reform in the spirit of interdisciplinarity; courses have been initiated by dedicated faculty groups who are committed to the mission of Colloquy: to build student’s understanding of their relation to the world and to equip them to be successful at University, in their professions and in their personal lives. The program is constantly assessed and its curricular content calibrated for enhanced student success. Balancing the Liberal Arts with the geopolitical realities of MENA region remains the intellectual challenge that stimulates dialog, development, and discourse.


Themes 7: Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyProgrammatic Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes in General Education: Best Practices, Resources and Examples

WONG Chau-Ming T., Assistant Vice President for Assessment, Director of Center for Teaching and Learning, and Associate Professor of Psychology, Saint Joseph’s College, United States;Daniel J. BLANKENSHIP, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Saint Joseph’s College, United States;Marina WONG, Associate Professor, Department of Education Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

This session will show how LEAP outcomes can facilitate the assessment of interdisciplinary General Education programs. This presentation will begin with the trends of General Education, some best practices and resources available for assessment of General Education in the United States. We will focus on the development of an

effective assessment system that will support programmatic General Education outcomes assessment. Our consideration comes from designating some LEAP outcomes as program-level learning outcomes in interdisciplinary General Education programs. This approach facilitates General Education outcome assessment of seniors who have taken a variety of courses. Our examples include Saint Joseph’s College’s (SJC) Core program capstone assessment. SJC’s Core program is a ten-course interdisciplinary General Education curriculum shaped to fit the college’s mission. The SJC Core program capstone assessment was featured as a model of “Good Practice in Assessment” by the AAC&U’s Greater Expectations Project on Assessment and Accreditation (Taking Responsibility for the Quality of the Baccalaureate Degree, 2004). Another example is a hypothetical assessment plan based on Hong Kong Baptist University’s General Education curriculum.


Themes 1; 2: Use of Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning in Large-Scale Course; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomySmall Learning Devices for Important Questions

Paula HODGSON, Senior Education Development Officer, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Lilian VRIJMOED, Professor, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

The iPod Touch has been on the market for nearly a decade, and the current model allows the user to listen to music, access the internet, and take photos and video clips. It therefore serves as a portable mini-notebook and can be an effective learning tool for university study.

This is a case study of the learning experience of a group of 78 first-year students taking a microbiology course in 2011–12 in a university in Hong Kong. Each student on the course was provided with an iPod Touch for learning. However, because providing the device may not have guaranteed that it would be used for


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learning, given its many functions, the professor redesigned the teaching process in order to create a discovery-enriched learning environment for the class. At the end of each lecture, students were asked to write questions using the device as a one-minute paper. This meant that students could submit any questions that they had and be able to view questions raised by other students, whatever their importance. Notably, students were more ready to raise questions, which is an important factor in successful learning.


Themes 1; 7: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Students and General Education in the 21th Century Economy.Roundtable Discussion: Exploration and Practice of Construction Assurance System of General Education

WAN Wanggen, Professor & Provost, Shanghai University, China

At present, the research on general education is mostly concentrated on the curriculum, but few studies on how to ensure the smooth implementation on general education. The paper explores the construction assurance system of general education in the following seven aspects: enrollment system, agency establishment, training program, training pattern, evaluation mechanism, construction fund and faculty construction. Shanghai University has done many initiatives on the above aspects and has already achieved some successes.

Plenary


Authentic Assessment and the VALUE of Learning

Keynote: Dr. Terrel RHODES, Vice President for Quality, Curriculum and Assessment Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)

The complexity of the world in which our graduates live and work and the ubiquitous access to information and communication have substantially altered the role of higher education today. The message is clear that our graduates need to demonstrate learning on a broad set of essential learning outcomes as key to student success. A best way to demonstrate the desired level of learning is through the work we assign to students in our courses and programs of study. We now have frameworks and the technological and intellectual means to achieve this demonstration of learning.

Lunch

Time: 12:15 – 1:30Venue: Amenities Building 9th Floor


Concurrent Sessions

Time: 1:30 – 2:50 (80 minutes and 25 minutes)Venue: Mr and Mrs Sze Chi Ching Lecture Theatre (LT-2) in Academic Building 1

Themes 4; 6: Integrating Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curriculum; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curriculum for GERoundtable: Innovations in Undergraduate Education at American Liberal Arts Colleges (Sponsored by ASIANetwork).

Teodora (Teddy) O. AMOLOZA, Professor of Sociology, Illinois Wesleyan University and the Executive Director of ASIANetwork, Illinois Wesleyan University, United States; Andrew CHITTICK, E. Leslie Peter Professor of East Asian Humanities & History, Eckerd College, United States; Zheya GAI, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of International Studies, Washington and Jefferson College, United States; Jack HARRIS, Professor of Sociology, Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS),United States; Eriberto P. LOZADA Jr. Associate Professor of Anthropology, Davidson College, United States;


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Institutional Affiliation and Location: ASIANetwork, based at Illinois Wesleyan University, United States

Liberal arts colleges are an excellent testing ground for innovative approaches to undergraduate general education. They offer small classes and close faculty-student relationships that maximize opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and collaborative research. This roundtable brings together five experienced liberal arts college faculty from the fields of Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, and History to discuss innovative approaches they have used to enhance undergraduate learning. These include campus-wide initiatives to strengthen the interdisciplinary aspect of general education programs, as well as more focused work with select groups of students to develop research opportunities emphasizing cross-cultural education and study abroad. The roundtable is sponsored by ASIANetwork, a consortium of small liberal arts colleges that promotes Asian Studies in the undergraduate curriculum.


Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum ReformDesigning a General Education Program in a Private Management College in Hong Kong: Opportunities and Challenges

Kenneth LEUNG, Professor, Department of Journalism and Communication; Chairperson, Department of General Education; Victor CHAN, Hang Seng Management College, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Anselm LAM, Hang Seng Management College, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Following their educational reform in the high school sector, colleges and universities in Hong Kong are also undertaking its own curriculum reform. As the length of study is changed from three years to four years, General Education will become an important component in the four-year undergraduate curriculum. While General Education has long been considered to be

significantly useful to broaden the knowledge base that undergirds the specialized major area of study, there is no common consensus on the definition and scope of General Education. Thus, there is a general impression among faculty members and students that General Education is peripheral in university education. Even more unfortunate is the observation that courses not classifiable are placed under General Education. This paper will first look at the General Education programs in the sub-degree and degree sectors in Hong Kong, then review the literature of General Education, to be followed by a re-conceptualization, beginning from the learning outcomes of a four-year undergraduate GE core program, as manifested in students in the forms of four different abilities, namely, intellectual-analytical, aesthetic-appreciative, moral reasoning, and a set of skill-based abilities. Taking Hang Seng Management College as a case study, opportunities and challenges are identified and discussed. Being a management college, HSMC is new, small and unique. As such, it may be possible to provide an all-around education that produces graduates who possess a broad knowledge base, inter-disciplinary in nature, in a management context, which carries an emphasis of Confucian orientation. On top of this, a specialization in a major area of study develops. With these in mind, this paper will conclude with a proposal of a four-year General Education curriculum.

Time: 1:30 – 1:55Venue: LT-4 in Academic Building 1

Themes 6; 4: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE: Integration of the Study of Asian Cultural Heritages into GE ProgramsTeaching Cultural Tourism in General Education: A Module for Cultural Heritage Studies

Michael W. H. CHAN, Assistant Professor, Department of General Education, Hang Seng Management College, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Recently, Hong Kong has increased her awareness on protecting historical buildings and cultural heritage. In particular, cultural tourism is widely accepted as a practical approach for cultural


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heritage conservation. Cultural tourism prompts off-campus learning and inter-disciplinary development, which align with the tenet of general education, provide students learning opportunities in civic engagement and incubate active citizenship. This paper examines an elective cultural tourism teaching module subsumed under the general education discipline. Two keys areas are evaluated: (1) The effectiveness of the course in enhancing students’ interests on cultural tourism and awareness on cultural heritage conservation; and (2) The adjustment of the course context and structure to align the ideas of cultural heritage conservation with the spirit of general education. The study is done by a review of course objectives, contents and structure, and a questionnaire survey of more than 150 students who took the course in 2011–2012. The research is in progress and the full results will be presented at the conference. It is believed that such an assessment can offer insights to other cultural heritage conservation training programs in the general education perspective, with a view to improving teaching and learning objectives and matching the expected learning outcomes.

Time: 1:30 – 1:55Venue: Y4302 in Academic Building 1

Theme 8: Use of Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning in Large-Scale CoursesAugmented Teaching — The Internet Prosthetic

Tricia FLANAGAN, Associate Professor, Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

We must carry on tradition while creating something new’…These words of a 24 year-old Chinese ballet dancer from Hubei Province, featured on CCTV9 [5/10/02], seem to acknowledge the new conditions of pedagogy today. My decision to embrace new technology was strategic given Hong Kong’s 3+3+4 Academic Reform and in particular large GE class sizes in the arts, where studio space and hands-on work usually radically limits class size. This paper presents a case study of my use of available systems (email, messaging, chats, blogs) to extend the learning environment both outward

beyond the physical space of the art-studio into everyday life; and inward to create engaging and dynamic student centred learning experiences. I focus attention on Visual Arts education primarily through my experience teaching courses to second-language-English learners in Hong Kong , but the issues raised extend beyond one discipline and one place. For example how e-learning technology can help to facilitate assessment for learning and assessment as learning; or support interdisciplinary collaborations without regard for geographic location. This presentation posits challenges and solutions to deal with the unique nature of practice-based pedagogy in GE classes where students may not have any prior exposure to making art, but can be encouraged to adopt an aesthetic viewpoint. The outcomes are better student engagement through adoption of delivery and assessment media relevant to NET-generation learners in the arts.

Time: 1:30 – 1:55Venue: Y4701in Academic Building 1

Theme 6: Case Studies in Developing interdisciplinary Curricula in GE General Education Curriculum Reform: Two Recent Case Studies

Karsten KRUEGER, Professor, Centre for International Studies (CIS), College of Liberal Arts, Shantou University, China

Since 2005, when the Centre for International Studies (CIS) was established at the College of Liberal Arts, Shantou University, the Centre and its faculty are seriously engaged and spearheading General Education/ Liberal Arts curriculum reform as part of a wider General Education/Higher Education reform project at Shantou University, Guangdong Province, China. In my presentation, I will mainly elaborate on two case studies, I was personally involved with, being the instructor for these two new courses: 1. Social Sciences Research Methods — part of the Core Curriculum courses offered to students at the College of Liberal Arts, Shantou University. 2. Visual Research Methods — part of the pilot course project in Gen Ed at Shantou University and offered to all Shantou University students.


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Themes 6; 3; 5: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE curriculaHarmony and Homer on the Pearl River Delta: The Foundations of a New Liberal Arts Education in China

Robert A. GURVAL, Associate Professor of Classics, University of California Los Angeles, United States

Almost thirty years after the initial establishment of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Guandong province to promote western capitalistic modes of growth and new policies of an open economy and foreign investment, a second wave of reform is transforming China. Its origins may be found in the same historic region. Sweeping across Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Guangzhou in the Pearl River Delta, educational reforms that emphasize traditional learning and technology, independent and critical thinking, and whole person development are changing the way students think and learn. Universities are becoming the new factories of China, and these reforms in higher education, if allowed to grow and prosper, may prove to be even more impressive and influential in equipping China for the 21st century. I call them the new SEZs (Special Educational Zones) of China. This paper will briefly survey the innovative and independent educational developments at three institutions in this area: (1) the establishment of two semester-long ‘foundation’ courses (Dialogues in Humanity and Nature), compulsory for all entering students in 2012, at The Chinese University of Hong Kong; (2) the founding of a new international liberal arts college, United International College, at Zhuhai; and (3) the creation of an elite Honors College known as Boya College (博雅學院) on the southern campus of The Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou. However diverse in their approaches, these schools afford compelling models of integration of the western philosophy of a liberal arts education and the ancient Chinese tradition of classical learning and humanistic education.


Theme 9: Assessment of GE ProgrammesWorkshop: Some “Dos and Don’ts” for General Education Programme Assessment

Scott L. KARAKAS, Director of General Education and Associate Professor, Florida Gulf Coast University, United States

General education programme assessment can serve as a vital tool for enhancing student achievement in key academic skills, and for establishing a student-centred institutional culture of continuous quality improvement. Yet the development, implementation and follow-through for high-quality programme assessment also require substantial commitments of faculty time and resources, which can often seem to conflict with their own professional goals, development and culture. Thus in order to achieve meaningful assessment objectives, it may be necessary for academic administrators to train, support, reward, and even recruit faculty for their commitment and expertise in the areas of student learning and assessment, just as for any other academic disciplines. Based on his experiences while serving as Director of General Education at a rapidly-growing regional, comprehensive four-year institution, the presenter will offer some experience-based examples of “dos and don’ts” for motivating faculty while initiating a new general education programme assessment plan.

Concurrent Sessions


Theme 2; 7: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyDeveloping a General Education Curriculum for Vocational-oriented Undergraduate Programmes


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Catherine C. H. CHIU, Professor and Head of Department of General Education, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; David JAFFEE, Professor of Sociology, University of North Florida, United States

The Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) is a newly established member institute of the Vocational Training Council (VTC). In September 2012, THEi will start to offer degree programmes which have been designed to produce graduates who are not only experts in their specialist professions but are flexible with broadly applicable generic skills. To complement the industry and professional specific modules, THEi has now in place a GE curriculum which comprises of core and elective modules. Based on the premise that the curriculum goals and the delivery structure are inseparable, the structure of the module is modeled after the Common Core Curriculum. The design of the modules is informed by the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework. This presentation will focus on the unique process of developing a General Education curriculum for vocational-oriented undergraduate programmes, how the GE curriculum has evolved since its inception and lessons learnt.


Themes 5; 6: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE Effective English Learning and its Comprehensive Evaluation Model Supported by Empirical Studies

CHEN Meihua, Professor of Applied Linguistics, School of Foreign Languages, Southeast University, China; ZHU Shanhua, Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, School of Foreign Languages, Southeast University, China

As lingua franca in today’s world, where globalization is the norm, English is an

indispensable tool of communication in international cooperation. Proficiency in English is essential if one desires to keep abreast of the latest developments in the world; so is English skill acquisition in the General Education. This paper, adopting the models in economics and management, makes proposals aimed at improving students’ English learning strategies. The purpose is to render assistance to classroom teachers, who are responsible for fostering students’ proper efficiency-driven language learning habits in their effort to learn, the self-teaching ability essential to their lifelong learning. To achieve the aforementioned goal, the paper systematically explores and develops an effective learning model complete with its comprehensive evaluation system, and exemplifies its effectiveness and reasonableness. Then the paper conducts an empirical analysis of the structural model of factors undermining effective English learning with data collected from the surveys of college student English learning. The paper also introduces a process evaluation model of effective English learning followed by an empirical discussion and finally concludes with a teacher-guided result evaluation model of effective English learning.


Theme 6: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE; Service and Community Based LearningCommunity Service-Learning 2.0: “Paying it Forward” Through Reciprocal Pedagogy

Jason LAKER, Professor, Faculty of Education, San José State University, United States

Interest in, and implementation of, Community Service-Learning Pedagogies have been growing rapidly. There are important ethical questions associated with developing authentic partnerships, particularly when the needs and interests of partners may not be fully compatible. For instance, an academic course has obligations within the context of curriculum, degree programs, institutional policies and quality assurance or accreditation frameworks; whereas community partners have obligations


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to their clients, resource limitations, and a desire for shared decision-making and teaching rather than serving as objects of study. In this session, the presenter (a professor) will share an approach to teaching two courses, both of which include Community Service-Learning (CSL) requirements. One of the courses is a graduate seminar intended for students studying in an M.A. program to become professional student affairs practitioners; and the other is an undergraduate course that fulfills a GE requirement. In both instances, the CSL involves mentoring younger students at the same institution to promote their development, success, and self-efficacy while simultaneously learning course concepts from the mentees. In both instances, the goals are complementary and take place in the context of the same institution and its associated contextual obligations. The pedagogy itself is its own sustainable model of learning.


Themes 7; 6: Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for General Education Preparing Students for a Global Economy: Integrating General Education and International Business

Ann ERICSON, Associate Professor of Business, Augustana College, United States, and Visiting Lecturer, International University, Vietnam National University, Vietnam

Augustana College, a four-year liberal arts college in the Midwestern United States, has a long tradition of offering business study in addition to programs in the arts and sciences. Founded in 1860, Augustana is a residential college of 2,400 undergraduate students. A strong liberal education is a part of the Augustana undergraduate experience. The purpose of this case study is to describe how the school’s general education goals guided development of its new international business major and how general education is integrated into the major. It also describes the business department’s assessment of student learning with many of its assessment methods used in a wide range of disciplines. The international business major’s liberal learning

features including an international academic experience, interdisciplinary coursework with global perspectives, expanded foreign language proficiency, emphasis on writing, a senior capstone, and the opportunity to engage in a domestic or international internship make it a unique academic experience. The program aims to broaden the thinking and influence the character of students so that they can make better sense of the world and their place in it. It shapes graduates to be responsible global citizens and business leaders in an interdependent global economy.


Themes 1; 2: Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy; Assessment of GE ProgrammesThe Study on Outcome-based Assessment of Core Competencies in General Education

CHEN Yu-hui, Director of Center of General Education & Associate Professor, National Cheng-chi University, Taiwan

In the wake of globalization, the knowledge-based economy is ushering in a new model of a globally competitive work environment which implies the competencies that undergraduate students must develop and prepare for. To meet current societal needs, colleges and universities around the world have striven to reconstruct general education programs as general education has been considered an essential foundation providing students with core competencies education to academic majors as well as work-related skills. This drives the current move in higher education toward skills-specific and higher-level learning outcomes, such as critical thinking, communication, problem solving and so on. In recent years, however, to assess if students acquire these core competencies from general education has been the key challenge in higher education. This is what this study aims to clarify for the purpose of developing an appropriate general assessment process for National Cheng-Chi University (NCCU), Taiwan. To have a clearer picture, this study first illustrates how higher education institutes across the world and Taiwan define what core competencies an undergraduate


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student should have, especially their acquisition from general education. How an outcome-based learning philosophy is embedded in the program reform is then discussed, including establishing curriculum map, developing general education goals and assessment process. Much research on general education assessment methods has been proposed, but little can guarantee a large-scale assessment of core competencies; therefore, in this study, literature about multiple assessment approaches is reviewed, specifically focusing on the application of outcome-and-performance-based rubrics to assess core competencies acquired from general education. To assess the learning of core competencies, multiple assessment approaches are needed, and any higher education institution wishing to undertake a large-scale assessment of general education competencies maybe can use standardized rubrics that serve the purpose of learning as well as of evaluation and accountability. The intent of this study is to examine what NCCU general education programs have done and what NCCU can improve in the following program reform step. Based on the framework of rubrics, this study also tends to strengthen the force of teaching communities in different disciplines to formulate applicable rubrics to related courses. The ultimate objective of this study is to delineate consistent criteria for grading and to provide a helpful reference for instructors when designing pedagogical activities in which the acquisition of core competencies, such as behavioral outcomes, attitude and value, and other associated soft skills are sophisticatedly designed.

Concurrent Sessions


Theme 3; 7: Whole Person Development and Learning Communities; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyGE Integration into Groups of Mutually Related Majors

Alexandar DJORDJEVICH, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Hundreds of GE courses may be on offer at each institution. Some guidance is desirable in selecting them. It is suggested that a portion of the GE-curriculum should be developed and recommended as a package for students of related majors: one package for engineering students, another for business students, and etc. Each package would integrate predictably with the respective group of faculty/college/school majors (e.g. engineering). The reason for this suggestion may be illustrated by analysing the CityU’s GE course about criminal justice, powers of police, and etc. By itself, it is a fine course. For engineers, however, the emphasis of a law-course could be better placed on outlining issues of intellectual property protection and contract and tort laws – while equally achieving ILOs of self-directed learning, critical thinking, and etc. Yet, mercantile law would be of more interest for business students, implying a need for a small number of distinct GE “packages”. As part of the GE curricular component, each package would promote purpose-integration into the overall curriculum (e.g. what an engineering graduate should know about law, business, and etc.). Such integration might not happen when students select the entire GE-curriculum from a list of hundreds of competing courses.

Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

Themes 5; 9: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Assessment of GE ProgrammesRe-embedding Literacy in the General Education Classroom

John Freeman BABSON, Senior Lecturer in General Education, General Education Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Shari LUGHMANI, Senior Lecturer, English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Kay H. SMITH, Professor of English & Associate VP for the Academic Experience Academic Affairs, College of Charleston, United States

Over time, literacy in the classroom in the PolyU has degraded to the point that it is not uncommon


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to find a lecturer viewing their teaching challenge to be one of working around rather than with literacy. This actually makes effective teaching much more difficult and places the graduate at a distinct competitive disadvantage. Increasingly there has been a call for active learning in the lecture theatre, a major component of which has to be active listening. However as a practical matter it is almost impossible for a student to actively listen without having had a preliminary exposure to the material in advance, which inevitably means reading. In turn it is only through extensive and intensive experiences of writing that one can find one’s voice and be able to competently write. Pedagogically reading, listening, and writing synergistically work together to aid the student in constructing an understanding of the subject material and its orientation towards the larger world. Without this, little of substance can be said to be truly “understood”. This presentation will introduce the interdepartmental approach taken by the PolyU to re-embed literacy into the General Education classroom, particularly in the context of the mass lecture environment.


Themes 5, 9: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Assessment of GE ProgrammesUnderstanding the Current Students’ English Learning Situation in Basic Education Institutions in Tangshan, laker China

LIU Yue, Graduate Student, The University of Baguio, The Philippines

As the most populous country in the world, China is also becoming one of the largest populations of English learners. Traditionally, English teaching/learning in China is dominated by a grammar-translation method that is teacher and book centered, which emphasizes rote memory. In spite of ten years of mandatory English learning in basic education, the English proficiency outcome of students is not as good as expected. This qualitative study focuses on 1) in-depth student and teacher interviews to uncover the current

methods/strategies used in teaching English, 2) the teachers’ and students’ perceptions of learning outcomes based on the current system in terms of listening, speaking, reading and writing, and 3) identifying the current English learning challenges/problems that are experienced by both the teachers and students in the basic educational institutions of a moderately populated Chinese city, Tangshan. The expected trends and solutions that will emerge via this study regarding English learning, such as the recommended ideal classroom atmosphere, modernized class activity design, redefined role of the teacher, efficient English examinations and maximized student motivation will be identified, including the anticipated impact upon the Chinese basic education curriculum.


Theme 6: Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE The I-Series Courses: New General Education Courses Focused on Big Ideas


In 2008 the University of Maryland, a large research-intensive public university, began the process of reforming general education (GE) to better meet student intellectual needs for the 21st century. Full implementation of the New General Education Program will occur in Fall 2012. As part of the reform process the I-Series* courses were developed and are the signature component of Maryland’s New General Education Program. I-Series courses speak to important issues that spark the Imagination, demand Intellect, and Inspire Innovation by challenging students to wrestle with big questions and examine the ways that different disciplines address them, I-Series courses are designed to take students inside a new field of study, where they may glimpse the utility, elegance, and beauty of disciplines that were previously unknown, unwanted, disparaged, or despised. In the I-Series courses students are actively engaged in defining and developing solutions to big questions. This session will present


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a case-study of the development, implementation and challenges of launching a new type of GE course (I-Courses) that will be required of General Education at the University of Maryland. The issues of faculty and student buy-in, course vetting and approval, seat demand and evaluation will be discussed.

* http://www.gened.umd.edu/i-series/iseries.php


Themes 7; 2; 3: Students and GE in the 21st Century Economy; Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and Courses; Whole Person Development and Learning CommunitiesExploring New Stakeholder Opportunities to “Connect the Dots”: Addressing Liberal Education Needs and Disconnects across the Globe

Lauren E. BELL, Teacher, ILCS High School, International Leadership Charter School (ILCS), United States;Angela NG, Associate Dean and Associate Professor, HKUST Business School, Hong Kong S.A.R., China; Dayle M. SMITH, Associate Dean and Professor, University of San Francisco, School of Management, United States

The value of a liberal education has been discussed and debated for centuries. Institutions from East and West offer diverse approaches to grounding students in the “liberal arts.” Regardless of the approach to general education, diverse stakeholders look to “liberally educate” a new generation of leaders and have an expectation that this purpose is, indeed, one of the university’s major roles. This session explores disconnects given secondary education and preparation for university level work by students entering the university, engaging discussion on future partnership opportunities with two sets of stakeholders: those who prepare students for university and those who gain from a liberally educated student? Several provocative questions frame the discussion: Are students across the world ready for GE and a liberal education? How can we prepare students to make the most of General Education opportunities? What kind

of partnerships are critical for achieving the goals of educating a new generation of leaders? What are the lessons learned from charter public schools, private-public partnerships and business/government that can help “connect the dots.” How might we design new approaches to preparing students to make the most of a liberal education?


Themes 1;11: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty Development; Integration of the Study of Asian Cultural Heritages into GE Programmes Transformative Curriculums: Chinese General Education and the Liberal Arts

Ivette VARGAS-O’BRYAN, Associate Professor, Department of Religious Studies, Austin College, United States

During the past two years in Hong Kong and the Mainland, I have observed that the fervor for the implementation of general education in academic institutions has increased with the oncoming 2012 imperatives, while the wholesale application and embrace of this program initiative has remained rather piecemeal and diverse. As a Fulbright lecturer at City University of Hong Kong, co-chair of a research cluster at the Centre for the Humanities and Medicine at HKU, and professor of Asian Philosophy at United International College, I was amazed by the diverse applications of the GE curriculum and outcome-based initiatives in university settings. What struck me most was that, however Western the model, many Asian, and some Western faculty, delivered to the students a transformed GE curriculum in order to fit the particular Chinese mindset. Although there is the goal of implementing “general” education initiatives to enhance critical thinking skills, writing, and aesthetic and global perspectives to name a few, Chinese students often preferred to turn inward to their culture as a foundation for other perspectives, however sparse their knowledge of their Chinese heritage was. It was evident as well the challenge students faced who were reliant on “sound bite” lectures and readings, rote memorization and ideology-based questions as reflected in NEEP and Gaokao examinations.


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Teaching Asian philosophy and religion revealed how students thirsted for in-depth knowledge about their own cultures and values, an insatiable thirst to fill in gaps in their education. Recent studies have shown that as China’s economic development increases, so does the need for its population to seek for meaning. Some have noted the increase in religious groups and discussions among Chinese faculty to integrate religious studies in the curriculum. Based on my experience teaching at two Chinese universities and conducting research in China for over 10 years, I am convinced that those who take on leadership in curriculum reform must take into account the context in which the reform takes place and the transformed models being applied, reflecting on internal needs in the population. This paper will address the issue of leadership in preparing for a wholistic GE and liberal arts curriculum with the integration of Asian cultural values and heritage in order to prepare Chinese students to compete in the 21st century and beyond.


Theme 10: Authentic Assessment of Experiential Learning Aspects of GEAn Interdisciplinary Study on the Evaluation of the Effectiveness of UIC’s Whole Person Education Experiential Learning Practices

GUO Haipeng, Director of the Whole Person Education Office, BNU-HKBU United International College, China

China’s young generation has expressed some unique characteristics such as lack of empathy and teamwork spirit due to the single-child policy and the exam-oriented education system. In order to address the challenges of their holistic development and personal growth, the BNU-HKBU United International College (UIC) has developed an Experiential Learning-based Whole Person Education programme for all students as their compulsory extra-curriculum learning experiences. It is complementary to their academic learning experience on major and general education courses. It consists of eight experiential learning modules: university life, experiential development programme, voluntary

service, environmental awareness, sports culture, experiential arts, emotional intelligence and adversity management. This paper reports the preliminary results of an on-going interdisciplinary study on the evaluation of the effectiveness of these experiential learning modules. Applying theories developed in positive psychology, we have designed a questionnaire of self-reporting questions to measure the students’ whole person development progress throughout their four years of study in UIC. The data is then analyzed using typical statistical methods and the Latent Structure Model developed by the machine learning community.

Concurrent Sessions

Time: 4:00 – 4:25 Venue: Tin Ka Ping Lecture Theatre (LT-1) in Academic Building 1

Themes 5; 6: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GE Continuity and Adaptation: The University of Iowa Experience with General Education

Judy POLUMBAUM (Convener), Visiting Professor, Department of Media & Communication, City University of Hong Kong (Jan.-July 2012), Hong Kong S.A.R., China & Professor, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Iowa, United States; Frank DURHAM, Associate Professor, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Iowa, United States; Meenakshi GIGI DURHAM, Associate Professor (Professor as of July 2012), School of Journalism & Mass Communication, with joint appointment in Department of Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies, University of Iowa, United States; Martha GREER, Academic Adviser, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Iowa, United States

The University of Iowa in the U.S. Midwest has a commitment to general education going back nearly seven decades. Today’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences takes general education as a pillar


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of the undergraduate experience — but a pillar that cannot be set in concrete. At a large public research university such as Iowa, one challenge is to maintain both coherence and resilience, with periodic reassessment of GE programs and the nimbleness to adapt to changing times. Our session will describe Iowa’s GE experience from perspectives of (a) basic principles and operations, highlighting continuity and changes through the most recent program reorganization, completed in 2010; (b) conduct, objectives and pedagogical challenges of large foundation courses; (c) development of more specialized courses, focusing on themes of cultural diversity; and (d) the intertwined responsibilities of students, staff and faculty as they interact through academic advising. Our emphasis is on foundational principles, which at Iowa include active traditions of faculty oversight, interdisciplinary innovations, diversity in course formats, student engagement, operational flexibility, and a healthy balance of decentralization with central institutional support. We also will provide materials and information that colleagues in Hong Kong may find useful regardless of specific GE configurations at their institutions.


Theme 1: Leadership in Curriculum Reform and Faculty DevelopmentWorkshop: Breaking Down Silos through General Education Reform

Kay H. SMITH, Professor of English and Associate Vice President for the Academic Experience, College of Charleston, United States; Hedley FREAKE, Professor of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, United States

An important and frequently overlooked consequence of general education reform within Hong Kong universities is the fact that administrators, staff and students will form new patterns of interaction outside of the traditional and familiar disciplinary boundaries. In the USA, this comingling is referred to as “Breaking down the silos.” Silos are tall but narrow, usually round structures used to store agricultural products. At

universities, silos often ‘store’ students and faculty within separate, disciplinary boundaries. Their homogeneity makes them easy to administer and teach within but difficult to integrate into goals and outcomes shared across disciplines. General education challenges silos: students from many disciplines share classrooms, ideas and skills-development, sometimes outside their comfort zone; teachers integrate their subject matter into interdisciplinary formulations that must serve these disparate students; and administrators manage a wider range of goals and outcomes that must be met in these more diverse classes. This workshop will engage participants in examining the silo-breaking effects of integrative general education in Hong Kong. It will focus on developing active pedagogies that build vital knowledge, skills and dispositions across disciplinary lines and the consequences of these changes for students, faculty and administrators.


Themes 2; 7: Policy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programs and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century EconomyPolicy Lessons for Planning and Launching New Academic Programmes and Courses; Students and General Education in the 21st Century Economy

Terry BODENHORN, Dean, College of Liberal Arts, Shantou University, China

The College of Liberal Arts at Shantou University offers courses and degrees in literatures, languages, and linguistics. To ensure that all of our students have an adequate base knowledge and an appropriate skill set for gainful employment upon graduation, the College recently developed and implemented a Core (General Education) Curriculum. Our Core Curriculum, expressed in a matrix format, includes specific knowledge categories such as history and cultural studies; a baccalaureate skill set with categories such as critical thinking, communication, and moral reasoning; an introduction to modes of thought such as research methods in the humanities, sciences, or social sciences; and a


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grounding in thought/value systems such as Buddhism or Christianity, Marxism or capitalism, environmentalism or feminism. My comments in the Roundtable Discussion will focus on Policy and Process issues and lessons learned in designing this Core Curriculum. Key concerns are to fully understand the complex philosophical issues in selecting or excluding types of knowledge and skills in a Core or General Education curriculum, to fully involve faculty in the developmental process, and to implement a sustainable and flexible curriculum responsive to both long-term educational needs and changing social needs.


Themes 5; 6: Enhancement of Students’ English Language and Communication Skills in GE Curricula; Case Studies in Developing Interdisciplinary Curricula for GEWorkshop: Teaching Writing and Culture in General Education

Donna BUSSELL, Assistant Professor of English, University of Illinois-Springfield, United States; Tena HELTON, Associate Professor of English, University of Illinois-Springfield, United States

Evolving mediums of expression in the twenty-first century make text more important than ever before. Writing is a complex and collaborative communicative skill. To develop the rhetorical, structural, and inventive knowledge foundational to our students’ learning processes, first-year courses require instructors skilled in diverse forms of cultural communication in many settings and media. The first-year composition sequence and comparative societies courses at the University of Illinois Springfield strive to prepare general education students to engage civically and write well. This workshop highlights how our instructors craft syllabi, assignments, and assessments that account for students’ varied preparation levels and through which students raise their awareness of their own writing processes and address the reception of their work by others. It also addresses writing-intensive comparative societies courses that emphasize global knowledge, individual and social responsibility, and intercultural understanding. In general, this workshop

emphasizes a balance between two goals: exposing students to diverse cultures within and outside their social boundaries and setting them on the path of developing the critical reading, thinking and writing skills that will see them through the lives that await them after graduation.


Themes 11; 12: Integration of Undergraduate Research and Discovery into GE Curricula; Service and Community-Based Learning Workshop: Models for Integrating Undergraduate Research into the Curriculum

Deanna VAN DIJK, Professor of Geography, Calvin College, United States; Janel CURRY, Professor of Geography, Calvin College, United States

This workshop presents models for integrating undergraduate research into the curriculum, from general education courses to those in major fields of specialization. The models include theme-based programs that integrate research across courses and levels, programs that focus on community-based problems or contexts, programs that include the development of Intellectual Property (IP) in collaboration with local businesses, and courses that are entirely focused on one research question. For example, at Calvin College, multiple courses incorporate smaller, individual assignments to the larger Calvin Environmental Assessment Program (CEAP) to build a long-term data set. A different model of integrating research into coursework is presented by the First-Year Research in Earth Sciences (FYRES): Dunes program. FYRES includes a one-semester course for first-semester college students who learn about science by immersion in authentic dune research. Upper-level students mentor the first-year students during the semester before continuing the research projects to meet substantive research goals leading to a professional conference presentation. After learning about the range of approaches to incorporating research into the undergraduate curriculum, workshop participants will be asked to reflect and identify ways of applying these models to their own contexts, curriculum, research interests, and local setting.


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Theme 9: Assessment of GE ProgrammesStudent and Staff Experiences of General Education: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

Susan GANO-PHILLIPS, Professor and Chairperson of Psychology, University of Michigan — Flint, United States

This session presents data collected from a university in Hong Kong and one in the United States examining student and staff perceptions of their General Education (GE) Programmes using both quantitative and qualitative methods. After presenting information about scale development and reliability, data comparing student and staff perceptions within each institution are presented, followed by cross-institutional comparisons. HK students reported a greater emphasis on skill development, higher level thinking, and active learning in GE courses than did US students. HK staff reported a greater emphasis on skill development in their courses than did their US counterparts. Staff in both universities tended to report higher levels of skill development, teamwork, higher order thinking, and active learning in GE courses than did students. Qualitative responses regarding the primary purposes of GE were coded using the categories of knowledge, skills, or values and were compared across the HK and US contexts. HK students reported significantly more outcomes related to values-development than did US students. HK and US staff differed in the relative importance places on knowledge versus skills, with US staff emphasizing skill development while HK staff emphasized knowledge development within their respective GE programmes. Implications of these findings for future assessment of GE programmes are discussed.

Closing Plenary


Liberal Arts Curriculum and Teaching in Asian Universities: Reflection on the Conference

Dr. Jerry GAFF, Senior Scholar, Association of American Colleges and Universities

Professor CHENG S. Han, Professor, Department of Biology and Chemistry; Director of Office of Education Development and Gateway Education, City University of Hong Kong

Dr. Glenn SHIVE, Director, Hong Kong America Center

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General Education and University Curriculum Reform: An

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